Some regions of Antarctica are experiencing an alarming rate of green vegetation growth amidst the impacts of heatwaves in the area.
According to a study by scientists from the University of Exeter and the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, published in the journal Nature Geoscience on October 4, vegetation on the Antarctic Peninsula has expanded tenfold over the past 40 years. This peninsula is a long mountain range extending northward towards South America, warming at a significantly faster rate than the global average.
Vegetation, primarily moss, on the Antarctic Peninsula has grown tenfold in 40 years. (Photo: CNN)
The study also revealed that vegetation covering less than 1 km2 of the Antarctic Peninsula in 1986 has spread to over 12 km2 by 2021. The rate at which the area is being “greened” has accelerated by more than 30% between 2016 and 2021.
The incursion of vegetation in the coldest regions of the Earth begins with moss and lichens. Mosses are pioneering species, the first organisms to colonize new habitats. These non-vascular plants are robust and resilient, capable of thriving on bare rocks in nutrient-poor environments. They lay the groundwork for subsequent plant species by secreting acids that break down rocks and providing organic material when they die.
A map clarifying the study’s results shows four panels displaying the extent of green vegetation on the ice-free land of the Antarctic Peninsula at elevations below 300 meters. Each shaded hexagon represents the number of square kilometers covered by vegetation, determined by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) based on satellite data. NDVI relies on spectral data collected by Landsat satellites on cloud-free days each March, marking the end of the growing season in Antarctica.
Four panels show the extent of green vegetation on ice-free land of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Thomas Roland, the lead author of the study from the University of Exeter, noted that while much of the landscape consists of snow, ice, and rock, this small green area has significantly expanded since the mid-1980s.
“Our findings confirm that the impacts of human-caused climate change know no bounds. Even in the Antarctic Peninsula—this remote, isolated, and harsh region—the landscape is changing, and these effects can be observed from space,” Thomas explained.
Antarctica, the coldest place on Earth, has recently been affected by global warming.
This summer, some areas of the continent experienced record-breaking heatwaves, with temperatures rising by up to 10 degrees Celsius above normal levels since mid-July.
In March 2022, temperatures in some regions of the continent reached 21 degrees Celsius above average. This marked the most extreme temperature difference ever recorded in this area.
Scientists predict that as fossil fuel pollution continues to warm the planet, Antarctica will keep warming, and this greening process is likely to accelerate.
The more the peninsula greens, the more land will form, making the area increasingly suitable for invasive species that could threaten native wildlife.
“Seeds, spores, and plant fragments can easily find their way to the Antarctic Peninsula on the shoes or equipment of tourists and researchers or through migratory birds and wind. The risk is clearly evident,” researcher Thomas stated.
Additionally, the greening phenomenon could reduce the ability to reflect solar radiation.
