Environment Fires and tourism are melting the ice in Antarctica
Shipping in the Antarctic and fires in the southern hemisphere are increasing the melting of Antarctic ice. This is the result of a study by researchers on the northern Antarctic Peninsula, which was published in the journal "Science Advances".
According to the research team, simulations have shown that fires in South America have an impact on the ice in Antarctica. Black carbon particles from fires reached Antarctica from South America. If soot is deposited on the ice, more sunlight is absorbed, which causes the ice to melt faster.
Tourism in the Antarctic
The effect has been exacerbated by increasing tourism in Antarctica, as ships also emit corresponding particles, the researchers write. For their analysis, they evaluated data from the years between 2003 and 2008. According to figures from the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO), the number of tourist ship trips rose from less than 200 to up to 300 per season during this period.
According to IAATO, this number remained stable for a long time afterwards, but has continued to rise since 2017, most recently to 540 voyages during the 2023/24 season. During the coronavirus pandemic, there were reportedly no such voyages.
Melting ice in the Antarctic summer
According to the study, the number of melt days, i.e. the days on which the Antarctic ice melts, has increased on the eastern side of the peninsula. The time of the highest soot concentration has also shifted. Before 2004, this was in September or October, parallel to the fire season in South America.
Now the peak is between November and February, which coincides with the tourist and fire seasons in Australia. In Antarctica, it is then summer - rising temperatures and more sunlight, combined with soot, cause the ice to melt even more, according to the experts.
The argument often put forward for trips to Antarctica is that they create greater awareness of the environment there. However, this should not come at the price of actual environmental damage, the report continued.
SDA
