Surging Tourism Is Polluting Antarctica, Scientists Warn
In Antarctic areas where humans have been active, the concentration of fine particles containing heavy metals is 10 times higher than it was 40 years ago, the international team of researchers said in a new study.
That change has come as the number of annual tourists visiting the white continent has risen from 20,000 to 120,000 over the last two decades, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators.
"The increasing human presence in Antarctica raises concerns about pollutants from fossil fuel combustion, including those from ships, aircraft, vehicles and supporting infrastructure," the study in the journal Nature Sustainability said.
Ships carrying tourists are powered by dirty fossil fuels, which are the source of fine particles containing things like nickel, copper, zinc and lead.
"Snow melts faster in Antarctica due to the presence of polluting particles in areas frequented by tourists," study co-author Raul Cordero told AFP.
"A single tourist can contribute to accelerating the melting of around 100 tons of snow," said the scientist at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
The researchers -- from countries including Chile and Germany -- spent four years traveling 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) in Antarctica to measure the contamination.
The presence of heavy metals has also increased due to scientific expeditions. Research projects that stay for an extended time can have up to 10 times more of an impact than a single tourist, Cordero said.
The study acknowledged there have been "meaningful steps forward" in attempts to protect Antarctica, such as a ban on highly polluting heavy fuel oil and the tourism industry embracing electric-hybrid ships.
"Nevertheless, our results show that more remains to be done to reduce the burdens of human activities in Antarctica," including speeding up the transition to renewable energy and slashing fossil fuel use, the study said.
A different Nature study also published on Wednesday warned that potentially irreversible changes in Antarctica driven by climate change could lift global oceans by meters and lead to "catastrophic consequences for generations." Antartica and the animals that live there are increasingly under threat by climate change and other human activities AFP Scientists work to measure the contamination of heavy metals in the pristine snow and ice AFP
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Int'l Business Times
15 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Surging Tourism Is Polluting Antarctica, Scientists Warn
Soaring numbers of tourists and expanding research projects are increasingly polluting Antarctica, scientists warned Wednesday, a fresh blow for one of Earth's most pristine environments already threatened by human-driven climate change. In Antarctic areas where humans have been active, the concentration of fine particles containing heavy metals is 10 times higher than it was 40 years ago, the international team of researchers said in a new study. That change has come as the number of annual tourists visiting the white continent has risen from 20,000 to 120,000 over the last two decades, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. "The increasing human presence in Antarctica raises concerns about pollutants from fossil fuel combustion, including those from ships, aircraft, vehicles and supporting infrastructure," the study in the journal Nature Sustainability said. Ships carrying tourists are powered by dirty fossil fuels, which are the source of fine particles containing things like nickel, copper, zinc and lead. "Snow melts faster in Antarctica due to the presence of polluting particles in areas frequented by tourists," study co-author Raul Cordero told AFP. "A single tourist can contribute to accelerating the melting of around 100 tons of snow," said the scientist at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The researchers -- from countries including Chile and Germany -- spent four years traveling 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) in Antarctica to measure the contamination. The presence of heavy metals has also increased due to scientific expeditions. Research projects that stay for an extended time can have up to 10 times more of an impact than a single tourist, Cordero said. The study acknowledged there have been "meaningful steps forward" in attempts to protect Antarctica, such as a ban on highly polluting heavy fuel oil and the tourism industry embracing electric-hybrid ships. "Nevertheless, our results show that more remains to be done to reduce the burdens of human activities in Antarctica," including speeding up the transition to renewable energy and slashing fossil fuel use, the study said. A different Nature study also published on Wednesday warned that potentially irreversible changes in Antarctica driven by climate change could lift global oceans by meters and lead to "catastrophic consequences for generations." Antartica and the animals that live there are increasingly under threat by climate change and other human activities AFP Scientists work to measure the contamination of heavy metals in the pristine snow and ice AFP
DW
19 hours ago
- DW
Antarctic ice loss could have 'catastrophic' impact – DW – 08/21/2025
A study warned that Antarctic ice loss could cause more warming in the region and beyond, and could push some marine species toward extinction. Scientists on Wednesday warned that abrupt and potentially irreversible changes are occurring in Antarctica. They said the changes, which are driven by climate change, could lead to "catastrophic consequences for generations." The research was published in the journal Nature. It sought to describe the interlocking effects of global warming on the Antarctic, the frozen continent at the planet's South Pole. The "overwhelming evidence of a regime shift in sea ice" means that, on current trends, Antarctica could essentially become ice free in summer sooner than the Arctic, the study found. This will speed up warming in the region and beyond, and could push some marine species toward extinction. "Antarctic sea ice may actually be one of those tipping points in the Earth's system," said the study's lead author Nerilie Abram, a former professor at the Australian National University (ANU) and now chief scientist at the Australian Antarctic Division. The study warns that curbing global carbon dioxide emissions would reduce the risk of major changes in the Antarctic but still may not prevent them. "Once we start losing Antarctic sea ice, we set in train this self-perpetuating process," Abram said. "Even if we stabilize the climate, we are committed to still losing Antarctic sea ice over many centuries to come." Researchers gathered data from observations, ice cores, and ship logbooks to chart long-term changes in the area of sea ice. A "rapid and substantial slowdown" of the currents has already begun. "This would lead to widespread climate and ecosystem impacts," ranging from an intensification of global warming to a decrease in the ocean's capacity to absorb CO2, the study reported. Some 90% of the heat generated by manmade global warming is soaked up by oceans. Since 2014, sea ice has retreated on average 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the continent's shoreline. Loss of ice is harming wildlife, including emperor penguins, who breed on the ice, and krill, which feed below it. And warming waters will further reduce phytoplankton populations that draw down vast quantities of carbon from the atmosphere, the study reported.
Int'l Business Times
19 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Tall Ships Sail Into Amsterdam For Giant Maritime Festival
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