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<keyword id="19905255" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="SpaceX" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SpaceX" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SpaceX">SpaceX</keyword> will launch its first uncrewed <keyword id="23083681" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Starships" source="keywords">Starships</keyword> to <keyword id="19901192" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mars" source="keywords">Mars</keyword> in two years when the next Earth-Mars transfer window opens, Chief Executive Officer <keyword id="19903807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Elon-Musk" source="keywords">Elon Musk</keyword> announced on Saturday. Elon Musk stated that these will be uncrewed to test the reliability of landing intact on Mars. He added that if those landings go well, then the first crewed flights to Mars will be in four years. Taking to X, Elon Musk stated, "The first Starships to Mars will launch in 2 years when the next Earth-Mars transfer window opens. These will be uncrewed to test the reliability of landing intact on Mars. "If those landings go well, then the first crewed flights to Mars will be in 4 years. Flight rate will grow exponentially from there, with the goal of building a self-sustaining city in about 20 years. Being multiplanetary will vastly increase the probable lifespan of consciousness, as we will no longer have all our eggs, literally and metabolically, on one planet," he added. In another post on X, Musk stated that SpaceX created the first fully reusable rocket stage and made the reuse economically viable. "SpaceX created the first fully reusable rocket stage and, much more importantly, made the reuse economically viable. Making life multiplanetary is fundamentally a cost per ton to Mars problem," Musk posted on X. "It currently costs about a billion dollars per ton of useful payload to the surface of Mars. That needs to be improved to USD 100k/ton to build a self-sustaining city there, so the technology needs to be 10,000 times better. Extremely difficult, but not impossible," he added. In June this year, SpaceX's Starship, the most powerful launch vehicle ever made, launched and achieved key objectives planned for its fourth test flight that showcased the vehicle's reusability, CNN reported. It was launched from a private Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, on June 6 at 8:50 am ET, and the company streamed live coverage on X. The Starship launch system has the upper Starship spacecraft and a rocket booster known as the Super Heavy. According to SpaceX broadcast, of the rocket's 33 engines, 32 lit during the launch of the Starship, according to CNN report. The vehicle achieved multiple milestones during the test flight, including the survival of the Starship capsule upon reentry during peak heating in Earth's atmosphere and splashdown of both the capsule and booster. After separating from the spacecraft, the Super Heavy booster for the first time executed a landing burn and had a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico after eight minutes of the launch. Meanwhile, the Starship capsule achieved orbital insertion. Around 50 minutes following the launch, the spacecraft started its controlled reentry journey, and a colourful buildup of plasma could be witnessed around the vehicle as its heat shield faced the extreme temperatures of Earth's atmosphere, CNN reported. The Starlink satellites of the company helped in the livestream that was continuously available during reentry. A flap near the camera view on Starship seemed to scorch during reentry, and particulate matter blocked some of the view of the camera, the report said. In the end, Starship was able to achieve its expected landing burn into the <keyword id="19899989" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-ocean" source="keywords">Indian Ocean</keyword>.

Elon Musk: SpaceX to launch first Starships to Mars in two years

With millions of people across five continents experiencing scorching heat last month, the European Union's (EU) climate agency, Copernicus <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">Climate Change</keyword> Service (C3S), confirmed on Monday that June was the warmest on record. It also marked the 12th consecutive month of <keyword id="20524196" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-temperatures" source="keywords">global temperatures</keyword> reaching <keyword id="22325521" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="1-5-degrees-Celsius" source="keywords">1.5 degrees Celsius</keyword> above the pre-industrial average. According to scientists at C3S, every month since June last year has been the warmest such month on record. In January, the world completed an entire year with the mean surface air temperature exceeding the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold. June was the 12th consecutive month with monthly average temperatures above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average. At the 2015 UN climate talks in Paris, world leaders committed to limiting the global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial period to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. However, a permanent breach of the 1.5-degree Celsius limit specified in the <keyword id="20104670" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris-Agreement" source="keywords">Paris Agreement</keyword> refers to long-term warming over a 20 or 30-year period. Earth's global surface temperature has already increased by around 1.2 degrees Celsius compared to the average in 1850-1900 due to the rapidly-increasing concentration of <keyword id="20649149" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="greenhouse-gases" source="keywords">greenhouse gases</keyword> -- primarily carbon dioxide and methane -- in the atmosphere. This warming is considered to be the reason behind record droughts, wildfires and floods worldwide. According to new data, June 2024 was the warmest on record, with an average surface air temperature of 16.66 degrees Celsius, 0.67 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average for the month and 0.14 degrees Celsius above the previous high set in June 2023. "The month was 1.5 degrees Celsius above the estimated June average for 1850-1900, the designated pre-industrial reference period, making it the 12th consecutive month to reach or break the 1.5-degree threshold," C3S said in a statement. It was also the 13th consecutive month of <keyword id="21477127" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="record-high-temperatures" source="keywords">record-high temperatures</keyword>, a result of the combined effect of the 2023-24 El Nino event and human-caused climate change. While unusual, a similar streak of monthly global temperature records happened previously in 2015-16. "This is more than a statistical oddity and highlights a large and continuing shift in our climate. Even if this specific streak of extremes ends at some point, we are bound to see new records being broken as the climate continues to warm. This is inevitable, unless we stop adding greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and the oceans," said Carlo Buontempo, the director of C3S. The European climate agency said the global average temperature for the last 12 months (July 2023-June 2024) is the highest on record, at 0.76 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average and 1.64 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average. The world's sea surface in June was also the highest ever recorded for the month. Several countries experienced record-breaking heat and devastating floods and storms in June. According to an analysis by Climate Central, an independent group of scientists and communicators based in the United States, more than 60 per cent of the world population faced extreme heat that was made at least three times more likely by climate change during June 16-24. Climate Central said the blistering heat in June impacted 619 million (61.9 crore) people in India, 579 million (57.9 crore) in China, 231 million (23.1 crore) in Indonesia, 206 million (20.6 crore) in Nigeria, 176 million (17.6 crore) in Brazil, 171 million (17.1 crore) in Bangladesh, 165 million (16.5 crore) in the US, 152 million (15.2 crore) in Europe, 123 million (12.3 crore) in Mexico, 121 million (12.1 crore) in Ethiopia and 103 million (10.3 crore) in Egypt. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), northwest India recorded its warmest June since 1901. India, which experienced one of its hottest and longest heatwaves, recorded more than 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases and over 100 heat-related deaths. The intense heat overwhelmed the water supply system and power grids, with Delhi grappling with a severe water crisis. According to the IMD, 11 states recorded 20 to 38 heatwave days -- up to four times the usual number of such days -- during the April-to-June period. The mercury breached 50 degrees Celsius in parts of Rajasthan, with night temperatures hovering around 35 degrees Celsius in many places. Temperatures were most above average over eastern Canada, the western United States and Mexico, Brazil, northern Siberia, the Middle East, northern Africa, and western Antarctica. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-ipo-mukesh-ambani-led-telco-might-be-gearing-up-for-indias-biggest-ipo/articleshow/111519009.cms">Reliance Jio IPO – Mukesh Ambani-led telco might be gearing up for India’s biggest IPO</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/jio-vs-airtel-vs-vi-prepaid-plans-comparison-plan-benefits-and-price-comparison-after-tariff-hike/articleshow/111512587.cms">Jio vs Airtel vs Vi recharge plans comparison – plan benefits and price comparison after tariff hike</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/hp-envy-x360-14-review/articleshow/111407165.cms">HP Envy x360 14 review – feature-packed laptop with a sleek design</a>

June warmest on record; every month since July 2023 breached 1.5 deg C threshold

If you’ve ever wondered whether fish can suffocate in water, the answer is yes. Our planet's waters, from the tiniest pond to the vast expanse of the ocean, are experiencing a silent crisis: a rapid and dramatic decline in <keyword id="21181078" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="oxygen-levels" source="keywords">oxygen levels</keyword>. This "<keyword id="22526914" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="aquatic-deoxygenation" source="keywords">aquatic deoxygenation</keyword>," as scientists call it, poses a major threat not just to marine ecosystems, but to the very fabric of human society and the stability of life on Earth. An international study in Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution, involving researchers from GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, urges world leaders to recognise this oxygen loss as a new planetary boundary. <keyword id="22526915" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="planetary-boundaries" source="keywords">Planetary boundaries</keyword> are critical thresholds that, if crossed, can trigger large-scale and irreversible environmental damage. Just like we need oxygen to breathe, so do <keyword id="22526918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="aquatic-ecosystems" source="keywords">aquatic ecosystems</keyword> — from microscopic plankton to bigger fish. The decline in <keyword id="21809938" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dissolved-oxygen" source="keywords">dissolved oxygen</keyword> (DO) threatens the survival of countless species at all levels of the food chain. The study reveals a disturbing trend. Across all aquatic environments, from lakes and rivers to coastal waters and the open ocean, dissolved oxygen levels have dropped substantially in recent decades. <keyword id="22526916" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="oceanic-oxygen-loss" source="keywords">Oceanic oxygen loss</keyword> may seem small at 2% since 1960, but due to the ocean's vast volume, this translates to a significant loss. Even more alarming is the case of specific regions, like the midwaters off Central California, where oxygen levels have plummeted by 40% in just a few decades. The research team warns that this isn't just an environmental concern; it's an economic and social one too. Billions of people rely on healthy aquatic ecosystems for food, income from fisheries and tourism, and clean drinking water. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111566431" title="June warmest on record; every month since July 2023 breached 1.5 deg C threshold" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The culprit behind this oxygen depletion is a combination of factors. <keyword id="19942740" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-warming" source="keywords">Global warming</keyword>, fueled by greenhouse gas emissions, raises water temperatures, decreasing the amount of oxygen water can hold. Additionally, nutrient runoff from land use changes stimulates massive <keyword id="22526917" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="algal-blooms" source="keywords">algal blooms</keyword>. These blooms, while initially appearing productive, consume vast amounts of oxygen as they decompose, creating oxygen-depleted dead zones. Dr Rose, lead author of the study from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, emphasises the urgency of addressing this issue. Adding aquatic deoxygenation to the list of planetary boundaries will focus global efforts on monitoring, research, and policy changes to protect our vital aquatic ecosystems and, in turn, human society. The root causes are global warming and nutrient runoff from land use, explains co-author Dr Andreas Oschlies of GEOMAR. Warmer water hinders oxygen exchange between deep and surface layers, and nutrient influx fuels algal blooms that deplete oxygen further. These oxygen-depleted zones aren't just lifeless wastelands; they have a ripple effect that threatens our planet's health. Microbes in these zones produce potent greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide and methane, contributing further to global warming and exacerbating the very problem they were created by. We are approaching critical thresholds, warns Professor Rose. Aquatic deoxygenation disrupts the delicate balance of Earth's climate system. Addressing the root causes, like climate change and unsustainable land practices, is crucial. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111609639" title="Groundwater temperatures could rise several notches by 2100, making it too hot to drink for millions!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Oxygen is disappearing from Earth’s water; this endangers marine life and human society!

In humanity's relentless quest to find <keyword id="21578132" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="life-beyond-Earth" source="keywords">life beyond Earth</keyword>, the key lies in discovering a world capable of hosting water. Excitingly, scientists may have pinpointed a <keyword id="46100" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="planet" source="Orion">planet</keyword> beyond our solar system that harbours vast oceans of this life-sustaining liquid! While thousands of exoplanets (worlds outside our solar system) have been identified so far, only a rare few lie within the ‘<keyword id="22426573" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Goldilocks-zone" source="keywords">Goldilocks zone</keyword>’—an area neither too hot, nor too cold, and thereby perfect to allow <keyword id="19997618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="liquid-water" source="keywords">liquid water</keyword> to exist. Among these, <keyword id="22376712" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="LHS-1140-b" source="keywords">LHS 1140 b</keyword> stands out. Since its discovery in 2017, it has been subject to extensive examination. Located 48 light years (about 450 trillion kilometres) away from Earth, LHS 1140 b is relatively nearby in astronomical terms. This <keyword id="20349430" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exoplanet" source="keywords">exoplanet</keyword> is 1.7 times larger than Earth and boasts 5.6 times its mass. Originally, scientists classified LHS 1140 b as a "mini-Neptune," a small gas giant with an atmosphere too thick in hydrogen and helium to support life. However, recent observations from the <keyword id="19899749" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="James-Webb-Space-Telescope" source="keywords">James Webb Space Telescope</keyword> (JWST) have revealed a surprising truth: LHS 1140 b is a rocky "super-Earth," altering our understanding of its potential to support life. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The most promising ocean world candidate" comment="subhead" text="The most promising ocean world candidate">The most promising <keyword id="22426572" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ocean-world" source="keywords">ocean world</keyword> candidate</cmsannotation> The <keyword id="20951574" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Webb-telescope" source="keywords">Webb telescope</keyword> recently achieved a breakthrough by analysing the planet's atmosphere during its transit across its star. The absence of hydrogen and helium signatures led to the conclusion that the planet is not a mini-Neptune. Instead, the planet's density suggests it houses large quantities of water, as per study co-author Martin Turbet from France's CNRS research centre. Lead study author Charles Cadieux, a PhD student at the University of Montreal, remarked that among all known temperate exoplanets, LHS 1140 b is possibly the most promising candidate for confirming liquid water on the surface of an alien world. Approximately 10 to 20 percent of the exoplanet's mass is estimated to be water. In stark contrast, Earth's oceans account for a mere 0.02 percent of its mass. The state of this water, whether liquid or ice, hinges on the planet's atmospheric composition, with gases like carbon dioxide playing a crucial role. One encouraging factor is the planet's gentle warming by its red dwarf star, which is only one-fifth the size of our Sun. This stellar relationship suggests that the exoplanet's surface temperature is likely comparable to that of Earth and Mars. One hypothesis is that the planet's surface is predominantly ice, but with a substantial liquid ocean in areas most exposed to the star's heat. This ocean could span approximately 4,000 kilometres in diameter, covering about half the surface area of the Atlantic Ocean, according to models. Alternatively, the liquid water might be concealed beneath a thick ice shell, similar to the icy moons orbiting Jupiter and Saturn. Webb's instruments have detected indications of “the presence of nitrogen,” Cadieux noted, emphasising that further research is required to confirm this finding. Nitrogen, ubiquitous on Earth, is considered another potential life-supporting ingredient. The researchers aim to secure additional observation time with the Webb telescope to gather more data on LHS 1140 b. They estimate it will take at least a year to determine whether the exoplanet has an atmosphere, and an additional two to three years to detect the presence of carbon dioxide. The study was recently published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and can be accessed <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.15136" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">here</a>.

Using the Webb telescope, scientists may have found the ‘best bet’ for an ocean world outside our solar system!

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Australian sea lions <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/seals-with-trackers-discover-hidden-antarctic-canyon-2023-11">wearing video cameras</a> showed scientists a whole new world on the ocean floor.</li><li>The footage revealed surprisingly diverse habitats like sponge gardens, coral reefs, and kelp reefs.</li></ul>Sea lions are letting scientists in on some of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-crack-mystery-of-huge-gravity-hole-in-the-indian-ocean-2023-6">the ocean's secrets</a>.Humans have only explored about 5% of the world's oceans, and we have limited ability to study sea life in the wild, but large <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dolphin-eats-venomous-sea-snakes-on-gopro-video-puzzling-scientists-2022-8">predators like dolphins</a> and seals can help.That's why a team of researchers in Australia outfitted eight female sea lions with small video-camera packs.All eight of the sea lions had pups, which meant they had to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dolphin-gopro-videos-show-hunting-sea-snakes-feeding-victory-squeals-2022-8">hunt fish</a>, octopuses, and small sharks along the shallows of the continental shelf and then come back to nurse their babies.That gave scientists 89 hours of sea-lion POV video from the uncharted <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/earth-core-encased-by-ancient-ocean-mountains-taller-everest-2023-9">ocean floor</a> off the coast of southern Australia, revealing areas researchers had never previously laid eyes on.The sea lions' never-before-seen video footage is helping scientists understand ocean life in the area, and it could lead to new discoveries. <h2 id="5afddeab-3c85-4a5b-9b0d-53288f7d5639">See the ocean from a sea lion's viewpoint</h2><div type="image" title="underwater blue ocean scene of muted corals on the sea floor swarming with fish viewed from a sea lion's back" height="359" width="660" msid="112335667" hostid="261" sizebytes="15292"></div>When Nathan Angelakis watched the footage, he was amazed to see the sea floor teeming with life."I was really surprised by the diversity of habitats that we saw the sea lions use," Angelakis, a PhD student at the South Australian Research and Development Institute and the University of Adelaide, told Business Insider.The sea lions were "zigzagging" through <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ancient-arctic-sea-sponges-survive-by-eating-worm-fossils-2022-2">sea sponges</a>, kelp reefs, and corals, traveling long distances, Angelakis said. The video below shows just a sample of their adventures.He co-authored a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.MdVeKMXe-2Bu-2BITFqnYKpwpYrG9aSJSXpvhXXGDX3Obslynh6O8MiWtx5A5k6q2-2FrWY4KrIp62NBh1bdldmHRTu2m-2BbrzSW1i-2FZ7VGz95NfSBR0Le34i7aEivChoHKg5oljyP0YIX4yn0KQmPe3Eulew-3D-3DShse_6hFIHAcasz6NIPwFENb3m8zfirVj-2Fs1caSVu6bbfQt-2FcigdLCULOHRf-2F9S3nmRrya56RzBc4EFTZWuZANRXuDmisncWkwc9tI-2FQ-2Fq9xljrRFLRiBV1Rq2nGmvyJNcHwRKvbIbS1NkKXjdQBQaOxTdDR6XOfS2JpLrJM4SO1u-2Bjejku6HGYJjUc-2BQJegSuyjdPtLKRWY4lCHSQlTTn94Sumez-2B9-2BN8S4adLHrlsoEvatECI2jdg-2BvqxElry-2FgaDgO76nTVSU4Q1s2rok3MyxQLoe7K26dZ29B-2BYfmIGbWWozla2cKLOEgU0m7f2vjQlVXsbI5xg02a8wF64i5gFyvPb-2BZygHfmxZpRJOF6PW9q-2BWP2PH6z6Dl8rS1ZN6q7zuNVjoZuJUK0uLKu7fz7AIjNA-3D-3D">paper</a> on the ocean-floor findings, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Marine Science on Wednesday."We really didn't know what was down there. We didn't know if it was just bare plains of sand or if it was mostly reef," Angelakis said.And that was just a snapshot of the seafloor. There may be much larger, yet-to-be-discovered sponge gardens and reefs in the area.<h2 id="44628bf2-ee5e-493b-bd39-8eed4220797a">Discovering new habitats and species could help protect them</h2><div type="image" title="underwater blue ocean scene of muted sea sponges and corals on the sandy sea floor viewed over a sea lion's back" height="394" width="631" msid="112335671" hostid="261" sizebytes="10526"></div>Research like this is a crucial first step for protecting those sea-floor habitats. Human activities and rising global temperatures are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coral-reefs-vanish-by-2100-before-and-after-photos-2020-2">destroying the coral reefs</a> we know about, and scientists across the planet are trying to figure out how to save them.To safeguard other ocean habitats, researchers first have to know what's down there. There's even a good chance that some of the sponges and other invertebrates in the video footage are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-discover-new-species-of-feather-stars-with-20-arms-2023-8">species unknown to science</a>, since seafloor habitats often have endemic species that only exist in one small area.Using sea lions to map the ocean floors is particularly valuable because it shows which habitats are most important to the predators.Angelakis watched all 89 hours of the sea lions' footage. He estimates that each hour of video took him about three hours to analyze. He had to match the footage to GPS data from the same sea lion, identify the prey animals it hunted, categorize the type of habitat, and describe the sea lion's specific behaviors.But he said it didn't feel like work."You just get a vision into a completely different world, and you're on the back of an animal," Angelakis said. "You're seeing the ocean how they see it, essentially."

Sea lions with cameras got stunning video of never-before-seen habitats on the ocean floor, surprising scientists

This article is part of "<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-5g-wireless-technology-shaping-our-world-2023-7">5G and Connectivity Playbook</a>," a series exploring some of our time's most important tech innovations.Nestled next to a park and tucked inside an inlet, Wahoo Bay boasts a half-acre of glistening, shallow water in Pompano Beach, Florida, home to tropical fish and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/protecting-ocean-key-slowing-climate-crisis-2023-1">endangered seagrass</a>.But below the surface, the mini marine sanctuary is also a test bed for underwater technology that may take researchers to literal new depths.Seven years ago, Wahoo Bay started as a vision for a snorkel park, but COVID-19 delayed its development. That delay "was a bit of a silver lining for us because it got us thinking more about creating an educational environment," said Rob Wyre, the chairman of Shipwreck Park, the nonprofit behind the Wahoo Bay project. The Wahoo Bay team was introduced to scientists from different universities who saw the marine area as a place of the right size and depths and with the right protections to assess <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-ocean-health-aquaculture-plastics-coral-reefs-sustainablity-2024-3">new underwater technologies</a>.IoT, or the Internet of Things, refers to a network of connected devices and the technology that allows them to collect and share data. On land, this could look like a home security system sending an alert to your phone or a fitness tracker synced with an app that gives you real-time insights into your health. In the ocean, Underwater IoT could look like floating sensors, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-artificial-intelligence-autonomous-systems-help-shipping-sustainability-goals-2023-11">swarms of crewless vehicles</a>, or a tetherless, wireless robot. Interest in ocean IoT is increasing because of its potential scientific, military, commercial, and conservation applications.While only about <a target="_blank" href="https://oceanliteracy.unesco.org/ocean-exploration/">5% of the ocean has been explored</a>, experts anticipate that underwater IoT, which can collect and share data from uncharted waters, could expand our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marine-biodiscovery-could-unlock-answers-health-climate-crises-2023-7">understanding of the unknown</a> and unlock the future of ocean conservation.<div type="image" title="Arial image of Wahoo Bay in Florida." height="1144" width="1440" msid="110974104" hostid="261" sizebytes="284090"></div><h2>Underwater IoT can be tricky</h2><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iot-devices-security-concerns-5g-networks-2023-11">Existing wireless technologies</a> aren't much help underwater because of how they work. On land, IoT devices connect through communications technologies like Bluetooth and WiFi that use radio waves at specific frequencies to transfer information. But standard IoT technologies are ineffective in the ocean because radio signals weaken underwater. Ocean IoT often uses a different type of signal to communicate: acoustic signals or waves.Waleed Akbar, a research assistant at the MIT Media Lab, said that while developing underwater IoT is challenging, it's necessary. "We know more about the far side of the moon than we know about the ocean," Akbar said.Akbar said underwater IoT could do more than satisfy curiosity about what's below the water's surface. Because these devices can transmit data from unexplored areas, they could enable unprecedented <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6479338/">environmental monitoring</a>, such as measuring contaminants or observing coral reefs — providing information that's helpful in curbing the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-ocean-health-aquaculture-plastics-coral-reefs-sustainablity-2024-3">climate crisis</a>.<h2>Using acoustic energy to power new projects</h2>Akbar is part of an MIT <a target="_blank" href="https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/oceans-internet-of-things/overview/">research group</a> developing low-cost, low-power, batteryless IoT technologies to support underwater networks.For example, the group invented a battery-free <a target="_blank" href="https://www.media.mit.edu/videos/sk-batt-free-wirless-cam-2022-09-27/?autoplay=true">wireless underwater camera</a> powered by acoustic energy — it converts mechanical energy from sound waves into electrical energy, and it uses sound waves to transmit data. The camera could support marine-life discovery, submarine surveillance, and underwater monitoring, among other endeavors."In the water, there's no central entity like a router you can connect to," Akbar said. "So what we have is a base station, and then sensors can communicate with that using acoustic signals."But acoustic signaling has narrow bandwidth, long delays, and high costs. There's also the issue of energy consumption: Generally, preliminary underwater IoT devices have used batteries with limited capacity. Akbar told Business Insider that it's difficult to scale when technologies consume too much power."If you want to make sensors at a large scale, or you want to cover a large area like a chunk of the ocean, you want to make sure that these sensors are cost-effective," he said.Researchers have been working on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3926587/">underwater acoustic communication technologies</a> for over half a century. For example, in 1945, the US Navy developed an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nepa.navy.mil/Portals/20/Documents/Pacific%20Fleet/GOA/files/EIS/Final_EIS_2011/sections/GOA_FEIS_Appendix_H.pdf">underwater phone</a> that <a target="_blank" href="https://sites.dartmouth.edu/dujs/2012/03/11/the-underwater-propagation-of-sound-and-its-applications/">transmitted and received sound waves</a> instead of radio waves.More recently, scientists and engineers have started to leverage this technology to make underwater IoT a reality. Early projects include autonomous underwater vehicles that can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/dec/29/new-technologies-bring-marine-archaeology-treasures-to-light">spot ancient shipwrecks</a>, sensors that can help with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/6/2124">disaster forecasting</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mit.edu/~fadel/papers/VAB-paper.pdf">sensor networks</a> that can measure ocean temperatures.Today's underwater technology is often hindered by limited battery life and tethers to ships on the surface. Dimitris Pados, a professor at Florida Atlantic University and the director of the Center for Connected Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence, said that to monitor and model the ocean with the granularity necessary to understand how <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-impacts-to-last-millennia-ipcc-report-2021-8">climate change is influencing it</a>, researchers need to access parts of the ocean that existing tech can't reach."It's a field that's catching people's attention," Akbar said. "The technology is developing, and there is a growing awareness that we need to know more about what is happening to the ocean."<h2>A hotbed of ocean tech</h2>In late May, Wahoo Bay <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/cityofpompanobeach/reel/C7m7gHEO5-d/">hosted its inaugural field trip</a>. Fourth graders, equipped with swim masks and pool noodles, splashed above bright-yellow porkfish and silver pinfish. For many, it was their <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/underwater-sculpture-museum-grenada-photos-2024-1">first time snorkeling</a>. Pados said he expects Wahoo Bay will be home to many firsts and innovations.Through a partnership with Florida Atlantic University, professors, students, and others can bring new underwater technologies to the site — and more projects are in the works.<div type="image" title="Underwater camera installed against a pole in the ocean floor" height="1218" width="1392" msid="110974106" hostid="261" sizebytes="99834"></div>Pados told BI the team had installed water- and weather-monitoring systems and was working on AI-assisted fish-identification software that relies on a self-cleaning 360-degree <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-the-efforts-to-make-fishing-more-sustainable-2023-8">underwater camera</a>.More futuristic tech is in the pipeline, including an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/artificial-intelligence-thermal-camera-technology-ocean-navigation-2024-6">underwater GPS</a> and a school of AI robotic fish. "You can imagine that, as long as they can connect with each other, it will be like having a moving network of underwater sensors you can direct to wherever you want," Pados said. "If everything goes well, they'll get outside the bay and into the ocean."Pados said that while Wahoo Bay is a testing ground, he and his team want to give visitors — whether they're elementary-school students on a field trip or curious Pompano Beach residents on a stroll — a firsthand look at the developing technology.Wyre said he hopes that when young people see the tech that Pados and his colleagues are working on, they'll walk away with new ideas."We've got to support the scientists of tomorrow," Wyre said. "We hope that when students see what's going on in the water of Wahoo Bay, they'll be inspired."

The ocean is still largely unexplored. Underwater tech could help illuminate its mysteries.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Florida is going through a record-breaking marine heat wave.</li><li>The New York Times reported that the water temperature has been so high that it feels like syrupy goo.</li></ul>South Florida's ocean has turned into a hot, syrupy goo that's inviting in sharks, local residents <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/19/us/florida-ocean-temperatures-swimmers.html">told the New York Times</a>.Ocean temperatures near the shore in South Florida reached a blistering 98 degrees Fahrenheit this week, shattering the previous record and well above the usual water temperature of 87 degree, the New York Times reported, citing data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.The agency noted that we're in the middle of the Atlantic hurricane season, and that "developing tropical storms that pass into the region may strengthen as a result of these conditions."It's <a href="https://www.foxweather.com/earth-space/swimmers-share-florida-beaches-sharks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not rare</a> for Floridians to see sharks near the shore, especially as the weather gets warmer. But 51-year-old Eduardo Valades told the Times that as the water temperature in South Florida hits record highs, he's seen "one every three or four days."His wife, Jennifer, added that she had also seen six or seven manatees basking in the warm soupy water.Other beachgoers haven't even felt cold leaving the water this summer; on the contrary, one resident said "it feels like a jacuzzi," the Times reported.A <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news/ongoing-marine-heat-waves-in-us-waters-explained" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marine heat wave</a> is a period of time in which the water temperature is warmer than 90% of previous observations for a specific time of the year, and a marine heat wave can last from weeks to years.NOAA said that oceans will absorb excess heat as climate change warms our planet and that extreme heat can prove "destructive and deadly for marine systems."Florida's marine heat wave comes as areas across the southern US and Europe are being hit with record-breaking heat. One Arizona medical center is seeing similar hospitalization levels to the pandemic, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/17/weather/southwest-us-arizona-record-heat/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CNN</a>, and one man <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-dies-death-valley-national-park-possible-heat-related-incident-off-rcna95263" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died in Death Valley</a> as the temperature hit 121 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sharks are feeding at the shore in Florida as the ocean's temperature reaches record highs and the water feels like syrup

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Scientists want $60 million to try trapping carbon dioxide in the sea floor off the coast of Canada.</li><li>They say reactive basalt rock across the planet could turn CO2 into rock at the bottom of the ocean.</li></ul>A major solution to the climate crisis may lie at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-crack-mystery-of-huge-gravity-hole-in-the-indian-ocean-2023-6">bottom of the ocean</a>.Across the planet, basalt rock deposits on the sea floor have the potential to trap carbon dioxide, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sargassum-turning-smelly-seaweed-into-a-carbon-removal-opportunity-2023-5">removing the heat-trapping gas from our atmosphere</a>.That's why a team of scientists wants to build floating rigs at strategic offshore locations. Rather than extracting oil from the ocean floor — as offshore rigs currently do — these futuristic platforms would be injecting CO2 into it.Powered by their own wind turbines, the floating stations would <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/carbon-capture-storage-expensive-climate-change-2021-9">suck carbon dioxide out of the sky</a> (or even out of seawater) and pump it into holes in the sea bed.The scientists call their project Solid Carbon because, if it works as they expect, the CO2 they inject will forever be rock at the bottom of the ocean.<div type="image" title="bottom of the ocean sandy rock formation in dark waters" height="1500" width="2958" msid="111293862" hostid="261" sizebytes="72820"></div>"That makes carbon storage very durable and very safe," Martin Scherwath, a geophysicist working on the project and a staff scientist at Ocean Networks Canada, told Business Insider.Unlike other storage techniques, we wouldn't have to worry about carbon returning to the atmosphere and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heat-waves-are-dominating-summer-and-its-not-abnormal-anymore-2022-7">raising global temperatures</a>.It's not yet certain whether these oceanic carbon-removal factories would work as expected. First, the scientists need about $60 million to test a prototype at sea.<h2 id="53f09086-6783-45c9-a518-2850153add7d">How the bottom of the ocean could remove carbon from the sky</h2>The scientists estimate that, worldwide, basalt rock could permanently store more carbon than all of Earth's fossil fuels can emit. Just look at this map of potential sites across the planet, marked in yellow.<div type="image" title="world map with vast yellow patches snaking through all the oceans and some big splotches within each continent" height="769" width="1023" msid="111293863" hostid="261" sizebytes="76958"></div>That doesn't mean it's safe to keep burning fossil fuels indiscriminately. This strategy is unlikely to be technologically, politically, and economically feasible in every location on the map. It will also be slow and expensive to scale up.Still, the scientists say just a few rigs could make a big difference. In the Cascadia Basin off Canada's west coast, near Vancouver Island, there's room for about 20 years' worth of global carbon emissions, according to Scherwath. That's where they hope to conduct a field test."The reason that that location is so appealing, is that it's probably the spot on the globe where we know the most, have the most data, the most scientific expeditions, the most studies about the nature of the ocean crust," David Goldberg, a geophysicist and professor of climate science and carbon management at Columbia University, who's been developing this idea since 1997, told BI.<div type="image" title="map shows vancouver island canada above Washington USA with a star marking the proposed injection site for solid carbon far offshore in the ocean" height="941" width="2000" msid="111293856" hostid="261" sizebytes="47484"></div>The plan rests on a chemical reaction that already occurs naturally. Basalt rock is highly reactive, full of metals that readily grab CO2 and chemically combine with it to form carbonate minerals.The basalt also tends to be broken up and porous, leaving plenty of room for new carbonates to fill in.In Iceland, a project called CarbFix has proven a small-scale version of this process, dissolving CO2 in water (yes, that's sparkling water) and injecting it into underground basalt.Within two years, the CO2 gas mineralizes, becoming rock deep underground.<h2 id="988d2238-1182-4b6d-8b5d-82fc9c3778ca">The final stretch of reversing climate change</h2>These oceanic carbon-storing factories would be a giant and costly undertaking — exactly the kind of mega-project we may eventually have to resort to if we want to cool the planet back to pre-industrial temperatures."We have to come up with the money. I don't think there's a way around it," Scherwath said.That said, Solid Carbon is no substitute for the basic, immediate measures that climate experts worldwide are calling for, including swapping fossil fuels for renewable energy and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/food-system-role-in-climate-crisis-possible-solutions-2019-8">reducing the carbon emissions of our food systems</a>.Rather, Scherwath says this is one of our later carbon-capture options, decades from now, to shave off the last few tenths of a degree of global warming. To have the option, though, we need to start developing it now.According to one <a target="_blank" href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25259/negative-emissions-technologies-and-reliable-sequestration-a-research-agenda">report</a> from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, the world may need to draw down 10 billion tons of CO2 each year in order to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and have any chance of restricting global warming to the targets set forth in the Paris Agreement.To reach that goal, "you're gonna need every last drop," Goldberg said.That can include restoring ecosystems that naturally store carbon, like forests and wetlands, as well as capturing CO2 straight from the atmosphere and storing the gas underground in depleted oil and gas reservoirs.<div type="image" title="Seattle Shell Arctic offshore drilling" height="2865" width="4909" msid="111293861" hostid="261" sizebytes="1262212"></div>The trouble with those methods is the carbon could escape, via forest fires or seeping up through abandoned oil wells.Solid Carbon scientists say carbon rock is stuck on the sea floor for thousands of years. They also argue that in the ocean, there's plenty of room to scale up and little risk of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/america-build-infrastructure-transportation-housing-regulation-environment-2023-11">disgruntled neighbors fighting the project</a>."This is a good compliment to the other methods, but it's also the most expensive one," Scherwath said.<h2 id="ea90e680-4951-4f9c-bb5f-c9980aae11ac">Seeking $60 million</h2>The Solid Carbon demo would send out a ship with pre-captured CO2, drill a hole in the sea floor, and inject it there. They would use an existing cable network to monitor the site and check for any escaping gas.The trouble is funding. The group has applied for federal grants in the US and Canada, as well as foundations, according to Goldberg. So far they've been unable to secure the $60 million they need to run the pilot.Goldberg suspects that's partly because there's no clear way to make money from capturing carbon and shooting it into the bottom of the sea."I mean, climate change is so expensive," Scherwath said. "The way to think about it might be similar to sewage treatment in cities, like it has to be done."If they had the money, Goldberg thinks they could start running the pilot in a year or two.

Scientists want to pump carbon into a hole at the bottom of the ocean in a $60 million pilot project to help stop climate change

<ul class="summary-list"><li>SpaceX's Starship rocket completed its first full flight and ocean splashdown.</li><li>Surviving the ultrahot, high-stress plummet through Earth's atmosphere is a huge milestone.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-mega-rocket-too-powerful-first-orbital-launch-2023-4">SpaceX's ambitious mega-rocket, Starship</a>, just proved that it can not only fly into space but also survive the extreme plummet back to Earth mostly intact.On Thursday, both stages of the rocket — the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-how-spacex-changed-starship-mega-rocket-explosion-elon-musk-2023-9">Super Heavy booster and the Starship rocket</a> — reached a major reusability milestone when they both landed in the water after launch.Super Heavy landed in the Gulf of Mexico minutes after liftoff. But Starship's splashdown was even more impressive. The rocket ship flew into space, briefly cruised above Earth, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-astronaut-describes-fiery-plunge-in-spacex-crew-dragon-2020-8">screamed back through the atmosphere</a> at about 17,000 mph, enduring plasma lashing it at temperatures of up to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit.<div type="image" title="starship thick metal fin in foreground with bright purple light behind it" height="1626" width="2880" msid="110773101" hostid="261"></div>As it approached the Indian Ocean, Starship fired its engines in an effort to flip itself upright and slow itself down, practicing a controlled landing. It's not clear how soft the landing was, as the spaceship was clearly shredding pieces on the livestream and visibility became poor as it approached the water.<div type="image" title="pieces of SpaceX's Starship rocket flying off as it reenters earth's atmosphere" height="940" width="1692" msid="110773092" hostid="261"></div>Whatever happened, the ship completed its mission by sinking into the ocean.Believe it or not, cannonballing into the sea is a big deal for Starship. Last time it attempted the feat, in March, it <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-reentry-video-2024-3">disintegrated midfall</a>.<div type="image" title="starship reentry spaceship body with a thick haze of bright red-orange plasma lining its belly as it falls toward the ocean" height="729" width="1280" msid="110773098" hostid="261"></div>Now Starship and its Super Heavy booster are one big step closer to fulfilling their revolutionary promise of being the first fully reusable rocket system capable of reaching orbit. If Starship can translate this ocean landing into a land landing, it could <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starship-launch-success-elon-musk-vision-cheap-space-travel-closer-2024-3">slash the cost of spaceflight significantly</a>.<div type="image" title="starship super heavy rocket tall black on a foggy launchpad next to black launch tower" height="1586" width="2876" msid="110773094" hostid="261"></div>Then, of course, there are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-richest-person-elon-musk-dedicate-wealth-mars-colony-2021-1">Elon Musk's Mars ambitions</a>. Starship is the vehicle that's supposed to build his city on the red planet, with a population of 1 million people."No rocket before this has had the potential to extend life to another planet," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-elon-musk">Musk, who founded SpaceX</a> in 2002 for this very purpose, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1776669097490776563">said</a> in April, standing before Starship at the company's Texas facilities.<h2 id="97c93410-e680-430e-a1c6-a633aaa545a0">Starship's 4th flight to space</h2>The giant launch system, standing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-big-is-spacex-starship-2023-4">taller than the Statue of Liberty</a>, fired its Raptor engines and roared past its launchpad in Texas on Thursday morning.The launch wasn't perfect — one engine failed to light. But the rocket still worked.<div type="image" title="32/33 engines on SpaceX's Starship lit" height="218" width="402" msid="110773095" hostid="261"></div>Just as it did on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-elon-musk-rocket-launch-flight-three-2024-3">its flight in March</a>, the rocket's Super Heavy booster separated from the Starship rocket ship high above Earth, allowing the winged spacecraft to continue into space.<div type="image" title="SpaceX's starship megarocket in space" height="860" width="1897" msid="110773102" hostid="261"></div>The booster fell back to Earth, practiced firing its engines to lower itself as if it were landing on solid ground, and splash-landed in the Gulf of Mexico.<div type="image" title="SpaceX's super heavy booster hitting the gulf of Mexico with water splashing everywhere" height="686" width="1206" msid="110773093" hostid="261"></div>That checked off SpaceX's first vehicle-return goal for the flight. Next was Starship itself.On its plummet back to Earth in March, Starship fell out of communications. SpaceX eventually declared it lost, likely broken apart or blown up by the stress of reentering the atmosphere.But on Thursday the rocket ship survived the fall, splashing into the ocean and completing its first full flight.It wasn't unscathed, though. One of its flaps began to rip off and shred midfall, and the camera offering the live view cracked.<div type="image" title="SpaceX's Starship fin coming apart as it reenters earth's atmosphere" height="1080" width="1920" msid="110773096" hostid="261"></div><h2 id="d3da20ad-1924-426e-8bf9-91351b2d8bd3">Next step: catch the rocket with 'chopsticks'</h2>No orbital launch system on Earth is fully reusable. SpaceX pioneered reusing the lower stage of a rocket — its booster — with the Falcon 9, the workhorse that takes NASA missions and Starlink satellites to orbit.Starship-Super Heavy is poised to be the first system to also reuse the upper stage: the spaceship that enters orbit after the booster falls away.A Starship prototype already proved that it could lower itself to a soft landing from a flight 6 miles above Texas, albeit after several <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-spacex-starship-rocket-exploded-five-times-2023-4">explosive failed attempts</a>. But returning from orbital heights to land in one piece is another feat.<div type="image" title="starship reusable rocket spaceship prototype sn8 serial number 8 landing engine burn boca chica texas december 9 2020 50703141068_45874a2fa8_o" height="2152" width="3840" msid="110773097" hostid="261"></div>On its next flight, SpaceX might attempt to catch the Super Heavy booster with giant "chopsticks" on its Texas launch tower."I think the odds of actually catching the booster with the tower, probably like 80% or 90% this year," Musk said in April. "Which is insane. Like actually, when we first talked about it, it sounded so batshit crazy."As for Starship, the upper stage, it might not descend from space to an actual landing pad until next year, he said."We just need to be confident that we can get through the high heating portion of the reentry reliably, and then we will bring the ship back and we'll land on the tower as well," Musk said.

Starship lands in the ocean with its engines firing for the first time, bringing Elon Musk one step closer to Mars

Imagine a blind date that not only sparks romance, but also whips up an underwater <keyword id="43950" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="storm" source="Orion">storm</keyword>! That's what researchers discovered when studying how different <keyword id="53745" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ocean" source="Orion">ocean</keyword> layers mix. But before we dive into their fishy findings, let's understand why ocean mixing matters. Believe it or not, half the <keyword id="19912640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="earth" source="keywords">Earth</keyword>'s <keyword id="6355647" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="oxygen" source="Orion">oxygen</keyword> comes from ocean plants and algae, which need sunlight to thrive. Yet, they mainly live near the surface. So how does oxygen reach deeper creatures? Tides and winds help stir the ocean, but scientists found this process insufficient for the observed mixing levels. This led them to investigate some strange nighttime turbulence that was reported off the Spanish coast. The disturbance in the water was akin to a storm taking place, despite calm weather above. Imagine their surprise when, in their attempt to capture microscopic algae, they found thousands of tiny <keyword id="1342494" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="anchovy" source="Orion">anchovy</keyword> eggs! These <keyword id="6355507" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="fish" source="Orion">fish</keyword>, popular for bait and food, were gathering in immense numbers to spawn, creating powerful turbulence. Through observation, researchers revealed how the anchovies' movements caused significant temperature fluctuations, especially at night. This, they believe, contributes significantly to mixing different ocean layers. The idea of marine creatures influencing ocean mixing existed, but lacked strong evidence. This study, published in <keyword id="20508379" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nature-science" source="keywords">Nature Science</keyword>, provides crucial support for this theory.

Fish spawning frenzies may be key to delivering oxygen to the depths of the ocean, researchers find

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The gravitational pull Mars exerts on Earth may be strong enough to impact ocean currents.</li><li>The red planet can cause deep-sea currents to change over a 2.4 million-year cycle, a study said.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-seeking-applicants-mars-simulation-habitat-live-year-2024-2">Mars</a> may be 140 million miles away, but its gravitational pull could be impacting Earth's oceans.Scientists at the University of Sydney in Australia believe the red planet's tug is creating "giant whirlpools" in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moons-pull-may-trigger-earthquakes-on-earth-scientists-say-2023-6">oceans</a> called eddies, which can shift the deep-sea floor.This, they claim, is part of a 2.4-million-year climate "grand cycle" on Earth that has been ongoing for at least 40 million years."We were surprised to find these 2.4-million-year cycles in our deep-sea sedimentary data," said Adriana Dutkiewicz, a geosciences researcher at the University of Sydney"There is only one way to explain them: they are linked to cycles in the interactions of Mars and Earth orbiting the sun."<div type="image" title="a gif shows whirpools in the oceans off the coast of Japan." height="338" width="600" msid="108469567" hostid="261" sizebytes="68480"></div><h2>Tiny changes can have huge effects</h2>If the climate crisis has taught us one thing, it's that seemingly insignificant events — such as humans picking carbon-based fuels to power their industry — can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-climate-change-crisis-extreme-weather-is-costing-you-2023-9">unleash catastrophic impacts </a>on our delicately balanced climate down the line.How humans are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/climate-change">causing the rapid warming</a> of the planet today is very clear.But what scientists are increasingly figuring out is how even smaller changes to the planet, like tweaks to its position in the solar system, can influence long-term trends in the climate.Previous studies have suggested that <a target="_blank" href="https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2948/milankovitch-orbital-cycles-and-their-role-in-earths-climate/">tiny wobbles of our Earth's axis</a> can tip the scales for the climate on the scale of tens of thousands of years.Now, scientists are proposing an "astronomical grand cycle" on the scale of millions of years, which they say is caused by the subtle effect of Mars's gravitational pull."Mars's impact on Earth's climate is akin to a butterfly effect," said study author Dietmar Müller, a professor of geosciences at the University of Sydney, to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2421730-marss-gravitational-pull-may-be-strong-enough-to-stir-earths-oceans/">New Scientist</a>.<h2>Earth resonates with Mars, and that slowly shifts the climate and oceans</h2>The evidence for this theory lies in almost 300 cores deep-sea cores tracking ocean sediments back more than 65 million years.These revealed that sediment deposits follow a very long period, ebbing and flowing every 2.4 million years.This suggests something weird is happening on that time scale, which lines up suspiciously with periods of a warmer climate, Müller, Dutkiewicz, and their co-author said in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=9487842ccb0dce3640b41a7f70ba09654109ce89c30d3231e725fbee67893109&amp;postID=65f16ea033d9389aad4ceaa2&amp;postSlug=mars-gravity-earth-giant-whirpools-oceans-climate-megacycle-million-years-2024-3&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41467-024-46171-5%3Futm_medium%3Daffiliate%26utm_source%3Dcommission_junction%26utm_campaign%3DCONR_PF018_ECOM_GL_PHSS_ALWYS_DEEPLINK%26utm_content%3Dtextlink%26utm_term%3DPID100052172%26CJEVENT%3D011ed993e11b11ee825f00330a18b8f8%23Sec2">a study</a> published Tuesday.For the scientists, there's one culprit: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-plan-colonize-mars-plan-unrealistic-scientists-explain-2023-10">Mars</a>.The red planet's orbit and ours are locked in an intricate dance, and every so often, these line up so that Mars' gravitational pull on Earth is just a little more intense — this is called resonance.This, in turn, could pull Earth ever so slightly toward the sun, increasing the surface temperature and solar radiation.That can have a knock-on effect on the climate through the seas. Oceans are known to create giant whirlpools ahead of warming climates.This effect wouldn't upheave the climate on its own, but it could nudge our planet toward a slightly warmer system by tweaking the Atlantic current that regulates the Gulf Stream, for instance.The findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications.<div type="image" title="An image of Mars" height="640" width="640" msid="108469569" hostid="261" sizebytes="21454"></div><h2>More evidence is needed</h2>Not everybody agrees that the case is closed on these million-year variations.Matthew England at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, told New Scientist he was "skeptical" given Mars's weak gravitational pull."Even Jupiter has a stronger gravitational field for Earth," he said.Still, if correct, this theory would add precious understanding to these "megacycles." This information is crucial when refining models helping us see how our planet's intricate climate will progress over time."Many of us have seen these multi-million-year cycles in various different geological, geochemical and biological records — including during the famous explosion of animal life in the Cambrian Period," Benjamin Mills a biogeochemist at the University of Leeds who wasn't involved in the study told New Scientist."This paper helps cement these ideas as key parts of environmental change," said Mills.

You Searched For "ocean temperature" and got 11 results

Elon Musk: SpaceX to launch first Starships to Mars in two years

ANI

June warmest on record; every month since July 2023 breached 1.5 deg C threshold

PTI

Oxygen is disappearing from Earth’s water; this endangers marine life and human society!

BI India Bureau

Using the Webb telescope, scientists may have found the ‘best bet’ for an ocean world outside our solar system!

Kunal Kambli

Sea lions with cameras got stunning video of never-before-seen habitats on the ocean floor, surprising scientists

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The ocean is still largely unexplored. Underwater tech could help illuminate its mysteries.

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Sharks are feeding at the shore in Florida as the ocean's temperature reaches record highs and the water feels like syrup

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Scientists want to pump carbon into a hole at the bottom of the ocean in a $60 million pilot project to help stop climate change

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Starship lands in the ocean with its engines firing for the first time, bringing Elon Musk one step closer to Mars

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Fish spawning frenzies may be key to delivering oxygen to the depths of the ocean, researchers find

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Mars could be creating 'giant whirlpools' deep within our planet's oceans

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