<
https://theconversation.com/each-antarctic-tourist-effectively-melts-83-tonnes-of-snow-new-research-177597>
"Every summer, as the sea ice surrounding Antarctica retreats, tens of
thousands of tourists and scientists flock to the landmass by boat and plane.
The remote continent is becoming increasingly accessible – during the 2019-20
season, the number of sightseeing visitors reached 74,000, with the vast
majority travelling by ship. Scientific activities on the continent are also
significant, with more than 70 research stations collectively housing thousands
of researchers.
This activity, which is projected to increase in future, leaves a physical
footprint with lasting consequences. In seeking to study or marvel at one of
the last (nearly) undisturbed places on earth, humans are having a growing
impact that can be measured and quantified.
Under the Antarctic Treaty, tourist and scientific operators are required to
remove waste from the continent. Trash and human waste are flown or shipped off
the continent for disposal at warmer latitudes. But some forms of waste are not
so easily squirrelled off the continent. All activity in Antarctica – be it
powered drills for scientific ice coring or vehicles for transport – burns
fuel. As we burn fuel to keep warm, or to move around, our activities release
microscopic particles of “black carbon” (smoke and soot).
Elsewhere in the world, black carbon is released in enormous quantities by
forest fires and human activity. It travels great distances – the soot from the
Australian bushfires in 2019-20 travelled around the world. Yet in Antarctica,
which is isolated from the rest of the world by a strong “barrier” of
circumpolar winds, the sources of black carbon are typically more local.
New research in the journal
Nature Communications has extensively quantified
the levels of black carbon in the snow near human settlements. Scientists first
collected samples from 28 locations across a 2,000km stretch of the
most-travelled section of Antarctica, stretching from the Antarctic Peninsula
to the interior of the West Antarctic ice sheet.
By analysing the quantity and type of light-absorbing particles in snow
samples, the researchers document how soot emitted by humans is affecting the
properties of Antarctic snow near high-traffic areas."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
