Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 984 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Nature Communications |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 22 Feb 2022 |
| Publication status | Published - 2022 |
Abstract
Black carbon (BC) from fossil fuel and biomass combustion darkens the snow and makes it melt sooner. The BC footprint of research activities and tourism in Antarctica has likely increased as human presence in the continent has surged in recent decades. Here, we report on measurements of the BC concentration in snow samples from 28 sites across a transect of about 2,000 km from the northern tip of Antarctica (62°S) to the southern Ellsworth Mountains (79°S). Our surveys show that BC content in snow surrounding research facilities and popular shore tourist-landing sites is considerably above background levels measured elsewhere in the continent. The resulting radiative forcing is accelerating snow melting and shrinking the snowpack on BC-impacted areas on the Antarctic Peninsula and associated archipelagos by up to 23 mm water equivalent (w.e.) every summer.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Chemistry(all)
- General Chemistry
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
- General
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
- General Physics and Astronomy
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In: Nature Communications, Vol. 13, No. 1, 984, 2022.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Black carbon footprint of human presence in Antarctica
AU - Cordero, Raúl R.
AU - Sepúlveda, Edgardo
AU - Feron, Sarah
AU - Damiani, Alessandro
AU - Fernandoy, Francisco
AU - Neshyba, Steven
AU - Rowe, Penny M.
AU - Asencio, Valentina
AU - Carrasco, Jorge
AU - Alfonso, Juan A.
AU - Llanillo, Pedro
AU - Wachter, Paul
AU - Seckmeyer, Gunther
AU - Stepanova, Marina
AU - Carrera, Juan M.
AU - Jorquera, Jose
AU - Wang, Chenghao
AU - Malhotra, Avni
AU - Dana, Jacob
AU - Khan, Alia L.
AU - Casassa, Gino
N1 - Funding Information: The support of INACH (RT_69-20 & RT_70-18), ANID (ANILLO ACT210046, FONDECYT 1191932, DFG190004, and REDES180158), CORFO (Preis 19BP-117358, 18BPE-93920, and 18BPCR-89100), Dicyt-USACH, and Antarctica XXI is gratefully acknowledged.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Black carbon (BC) from fossil fuel and biomass combustion darkens the snow and makes it melt sooner. The BC footprint of research activities and tourism in Antarctica has likely increased as human presence in the continent has surged in recent decades. Here, we report on measurements of the BC concentration in snow samples from 28 sites across a transect of about 2,000 km from the northern tip of Antarctica (62°S) to the southern Ellsworth Mountains (79°S). Our surveys show that BC content in snow surrounding research facilities and popular shore tourist-landing sites is considerably above background levels measured elsewhere in the continent. The resulting radiative forcing is accelerating snow melting and shrinking the snowpack on BC-impacted areas on the Antarctic Peninsula and associated archipelagos by up to 23 mm water equivalent (w.e.) every summer.
AB - Black carbon (BC) from fossil fuel and biomass combustion darkens the snow and makes it melt sooner. The BC footprint of research activities and tourism in Antarctica has likely increased as human presence in the continent has surged in recent decades. Here, we report on measurements of the BC concentration in snow samples from 28 sites across a transect of about 2,000 km from the northern tip of Antarctica (62°S) to the southern Ellsworth Mountains (79°S). Our surveys show that BC content in snow surrounding research facilities and popular shore tourist-landing sites is considerably above background levels measured elsewhere in the continent. The resulting radiative forcing is accelerating snow melting and shrinking the snowpack on BC-impacted areas on the Antarctic Peninsula and associated archipelagos by up to 23 mm water equivalent (w.e.) every summer.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85125157697&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-022-28560-w
DO - 10.1038/s41467-022-28560-w
M3 - Article
C2 - 35194040
AN - SCOPUS:85125157697
VL - 13
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
SN - 2041-1723
IS - 1
M1 - 984
ER -