Black carbon footprint of human presence in Antarctica

Raúl R. Cordero, Edgardo Sepúlveda, Sarah Feron (), Alessandro Damiani (), Francisco Fernandoy, Steven Neshyba, Penny M. Rowe, Valentina Asencio, Jorge Carrasco, Juan A. Alfonso, Pedro Llanillo, Paul Wachter, Gunther Seckmeyer, Marina Stepanova (), Juan M. Carrera, Jose Jorquera, Chenghao Wang, Avni Malhotra, Jacob Dana, Alia L. Khan and Gino Casassa
Additional contact information
Raúl R. Cordero: Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Av. Bernardo O’Higgins
Edgardo Sepúlveda: Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Av. Bernardo O’Higgins
Sarah Feron: Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Av. Bernardo O’Higgins
Alessandro Damiani: Chiba University
Francisco Fernandoy: Universidad Andrés Bello
Steven Neshyba: University of Puget Sound, Department of Chemistry
Penny M. Rowe: NorthWest Research Associates
Valentina Asencio: Select Carbon Pty Ltd
Jorge Carrasco: University of Magallanes
Juan A. Alfonso: Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas (IVIC), Apartado
Pedro Llanillo: Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Paul Wachter: German Aerospace Center (DLR), German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD)
Gunther Seckmeyer: Leibniz Universität Hannover
Marina Stepanova: Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Av. Bernardo O’Higgins
Juan M. Carrera: Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Av. Bernardo O’Higgins
Jose Jorquera: Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Av. Bernardo O’Higgins
Chenghao Wang: Stanford University
Avni Malhotra: University of Zurich
Jacob Dana: Western Washington University
Alia L. Khan: Western Washington University
Gino Casassa: University of Magallanes

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: 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.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28560-w

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