The Antarctic ice sheet is home to an astounding amount of meteorites, with over 60 percent of all meteorite finds originating there. However, a new study published in Nature Climate Change suggests that global warming poses a significant threat to these precious space rocks. The research used a machine-learning algorithm to predict that nearly three-quarters of Antarctica’s meteorites could disappear from the ice sheet surface by the end of the century.
Meteorites are typically found in “blue ice” areas, where wind uncovers older ice that appears blue against the continent’s white backdrop. These dark surfaces make meteorites sensitive to temperature changes, causing them to sink when exposed to sunlight due to melting ice beneath them. Under all emissions scenarios, at least 5,000 meteorites will vanish from the surface each year. With every tenth of a degree increase in temperature, between 5,100 and 12,200 meteorites could be lost. Under a high-emissions scenario, 76 percent of the areas currently covered by meteorites may disappear.
The potential loss of these meteorites would be catastrophic for space scientists as they provide valuable insights into the development of our solar system. Meteorites can offer crucial information about stars, planetary formation and the Earth’s geologic history dating back billions of years. Researchers emphasize the urgent need to collect as many Antarctic meteorites as possible before they become inaccessible. In his news release, glaciologist Harry Zekollari compared the loss of Antarctic meteorites with disappearing data obtained from rapidly melting glaciers and highlighted that once these samples are gone so are some universe secrets that need to be preserved for future study and understanding.
