Global warming is likely to complicate the search for meteorites in Antarctica – scientists

Scientists believe that there may be almost 300,000 meteorites in the snows of Antarctica.

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As a result of the climate crisis, meteorites are sinking under the upper ice layer of Antarctica. This will make it difficult to detect them and about 30% of them may become unavailable in the future.

Such forecasts regarding the loss of access to meteorites in Antarctica were given by the authors of the study, published in the journal Nature, writes CNN.

Scientists have established that celestial stones sink into the deeper layers of Antarctica even at temperatures below 0°C. The sun heats the continent, which, thanks to its color, easily absorbs solar radiation. This leads to the melting of the surrounding ice.

Under current climate trends, 28% to 30% of Antarctica’s meteorites may become inaccessible in the future. The worst-case scenario of increased carbon dioxide emissions would cause the loss of up to 50% of the skyrocks.

According to Matthias van Ginneken, a researcher at the Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Sciences at the University of Kent (Great Britain), the meteorites sinking deep into the continent will make the logistical aspect of searching for celestial bodies even more difficult.

“If meteorites are not collected quickly, they will be a lost resource for present and future planetary science,” – adds Kevin Reiter, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Currently, Antarctica is the most popular place to look for meteorites: their number on the continent is particularly large. About 1,000 space rocks are found in the region every year.

“For significant periods of time (tens or hundreds of thousands of years), phenomenal concentrations of meteorites can accumulate there: in some places, more than one per square meter.

The icy desert of Antarctica is an ideal place to look for meteorites: every rock you find there probably fell from the sky.” – says Maria Valdez, a researcher at the Field Museum of Natural History and the University of Chicago.

Researchconducted in 2022, showed that there may be about 300,000 meteorites on the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet.

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