Alarm over extremely rapid 'greening' in Antarctica

Some icy regions of Antarctica are forming lush green vegetation at an alarming rate as the region is also hit by heatwaves.

Vegetation on the Antarctic Peninsula , mostly moss , has expanded 10-fold in 40 years , according to a study by scientists at the universities of Exeter and Hertfordshire in the UK published in the journal Nature Geoscience on October 4. The peninsula, a long mountain range stretching north to the tip of South America, is warming much faster than the global average.

Vegetation, mostly moss, on the Antarctic Peninsula has grown 10 times in 40 years. (Photo: CNN)

The study also found that vegetation that covered less than 1 square kilometre ^of the Antarctic Peninsula in 1986 had spread to more than 12 square kilometres ^by 2021. The rate at which the area was 'greening' also accelerated by more than 30% between 2016 and 2021.

While the landscape is largely snow, ice and rock, this small green area has grown significantly since the mid-1980s, said Thomas Roland, lead author of the study from the University of Exeter.

'Our findings confirm that the impact of human-caused climate change is not limited . Even on the Antarctic Peninsula – this most remote, isolated and inhospitable region – the landscape is changing and these impacts can be seen from space ,' Thomas explained.

Antarctica, the coldest place on Earth, has recently been affected by global warming.

This summer, some parts of the continent experienced a record-breaking heatwave with temperatures rising up to 10 degrees Celsius above normal since mid-July.

In March 2022, temperatures in some parts of the continent reached 21 degrees Celsius above normal, the most extreme temperature difference ever recorded in the region.

Scientists predict that as fossil fuel pollution continues to warm the world, Antarctica will continue to warm and this greening process will likely accelerate.

The greener the peninsula becomes, the more land will be built up and the more likely the area will become a haven for invasive species, potentially threatening 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 via migratory birds and the wind. The risks are clear,' said researcher Thomas.

In addition, greening can also reduce the ability to reflect solar radiation .