Earthweek: a diary of the planet
For the week ending Friday, May 26.
Radio shield
Earth appears to be protected from space radiation by a type of radio signal mainly used by the military and government agencies. Very low frequency signals have been transmitted since the 1960s, some with the intense power necessary to reach submarines in the oceans. But they also radiate past Earth’s atmosphere, creating a protective “bubble” that extends to the innermost edges of the Van Allen Radiation Belts, which also shield against harmful radiation. The VLF bubble seems to add protection to Earth’s surface from potentially dangerous space weather.
Antarctic greening
The Antarctic Peninsula has been getting much greener since the 1950s with a surge in moss growth brought on by a changing climate. The region has become one of the most rapidly warming places on Earth. Paleoclimatologist Matthew Amesbury studied moss cores, which provide a record of climate and plant growth. He writes that there has been an unprecedented surge in growth along a 375-mile stretch of the coastline.
Aegean swarms
A plague of locusts has denuded much of the Greek Aegean island of Agios Efstratios, causing sheep to starve because so much vegetation has been devoured. Vegetable gardens have also been ravaged. The BBC quotes an expert who says the locusts will disappear by July or August but are likely to come back because they are not of the migratory variety.
Doomsday melt
A deep-freeze “doomsday” seed vault on a remote Arctic island has become a victim of climate change. The melting permafrost around Norway’s Svalbard Global Seed Vault has caused water to collect near the facility’s entrance. The melting was expected as a result of the heat generated by the facility’s construction, and experts had predicted the melted permafrost would refreeze. But the Arctic’s record warming seems to have prevented that.
Sumatran eruption
Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung spewed ash up to 2.4 miles above Sumatra. The restive volcano roared to life in August 2010 after 400 years of slumber and has experienced nearly incessant activity since 2013.
Yemeni cholera
An outbreak of cholera is spreading at an alarming rate across war-torn Yemen, with more than 35,000 new cases being reported by the World Health Organization since April 27. At least 340 people have died from the bacterial disease, which can kill within hours as victims suffer from acute watery diarrhea.