Climate warming is turning the Antarctic Peninsula green
by Simon Currin 28 Oct 2024 03:58 UTC
Moss turns the Antarctic green © Matt Amesbury
A recent article in the prestigious scientific journal, Nature, assessed changing ecosystems in the Antarctic as temperatures rise.
The Antarctic Peninsula has seen significant warming due to human activities. While ice responses are well-studied, moss-dominated ecosystems' reactions were unclear. Landsat data (1986-2021) analysed via Google Earth Engine shows extensive greening, with vegetation cover rising from 0.863 km² in 1986 to 11.947 km² in 2021.
The rate of increase has accelerated recently (2016-2021: 0.424 km²/year) compared to the overall period (1986-2021: 0.317 km²/year). This greening trend mirrors other cold-climate ecosystems' responses to warming, indicating potential widespread changes in the Antarctic Peninsula's terrestrial ecosystems and their long-term functioning.
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This article has been provided by the courtesy of the Ocean Cruising Club.