Did Climate Change Sink a Superyacht?

The vessel, which had the tallest mast of any yacht in the world, sank rapidly. Fifteen people survived. Italian officials believe that the sudden storm caused a waterspout to form in the exact spot where the yacht was moored. A waterspout is a tornado that forms over water, and the one that sank the yacht occurred over unusually warm seas with surface temperatures near 86 F (30 C), about six degrees higher than average for this time of year.

A study, unrelated to this event, showed that most waterspouts in the region tend to form between 8:00 and 10:00 in the morning, as the sun warms sea air and causes it to rise. Astrid Werkmesiter, a scientist at Strathclyde University in Scotland, told The Conversation that warm ocean water is rocket fuel for storms that generate waterspouts. She said that the southern Mediterranean Sea is similar to Tornado Alley in the U.S., which runs from the Dakotas to Texas.

Human-caused global warming from burning fossil fuels has warmed the ocean, raising sea surface temperatures and creating more moisture and energy in the air, which will lead to more waterspouts and tornadoes.

The scientists, led by the U.S. Geological Survey's Oregon Water Science Center, say that as natural storage such as snowpack diminishes and humans are pumping more groundwater, reservoirs are more important. Many of the 250 large dams studied were built between 1930 and 1970 and assumed that the climate and society would stay the same. However, drought and the buildup of sediment behind dams affects how much water can be stored in a reservoir. Now, there is uncertainty about whether they can be adapted to the changing conditions. One of the researchers said in a statement that the reductions in annual storage were widespread and many reservoirs aren’t filling to the levels they once did.

The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, may be used to improve forecasting and help water managers make better decisions about the timing and releases of water.

DIG DEEPER: H2O Radio produced a series on reservoir sedimentation: Damned from the Start. Many U.S. Reservoirs Could Be Rendered Useless—And That Was Part of the Plan and The Dam Nobody Wants Just Won’t Go Away.

Beaches naturally protect shorelines, but they’ve been boxed in by buildings and roads. Additionally, sediment from rivers and canyons that would naturally replenish the sand are intercepted by development. Solutions have ranged from repeatedly adding sand to shorelines to so-called “gray solutions” like injecting cement into the ground or building sea walls, but those options are expensive and can accelerate the erosion that’s already gnawing away at beaches.

There may be a jolting solution. Researchers from Northwestern University have found that a mild zap of electrical current can instantaneously transform sand into a natural cement, which could keep a beach in place to defend the coast. The team drew inspiration from clams and mussels that use dissolved minerals in seawater to build their shells. While those critters rely on metabolic energy to make their exoskeletons, the scientists found that electricity can activate the same chemical reaction and cause particles of sand to glue together.

A 2020 study concluded that nearly 26 percent of the world's beaches will be washed away by the end of the century. This new solution could offer an inexpensive and sustainable way to shore up shorelines as sea levels rise.

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment.

Researchers at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley planted cilantro, bell pepper, and jalapeño—the ingredients for pico de gallo—in pots filled with pieces of glass that had been crushed and smoothed so they wouldn’t cut the plant roots or human hands. They also planted some of the fruits and vegetables in traditional potting soil as well as in a mixture of both glass and soil to see which worked best.

Initial results suggest that the plants in 100 percent recyclable glass grew faster and had better water retention, but soil contained higher levels of nutrients such nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are necessary for growth. Potting soil did have its drawbacks, including developing a fungus that stunted plant growth, whereas pots that had any amount of recyclable glass didn’t have fungal growth at all.

The experiment is wrapping up and it’s looking like a fifty-fifty ratio of soil to glass will work best, but they’re waiting until harvest time to confirm which mixture produces the highest—and tastiest results.

If successful, using glass-based soils could make agriculture more sustainable by requiring less water and avoiding the need for pesticides. It could also keep more waste out of landfills. So, you never know, your next salsa could have been grown in a glass half full—of old bottles that is.