The potential loss of meteorites in Antarctica is a pressing issue that requires urgent attention. With over 60 percent of all meteorite finds originating from this continent, it holds the largest concentration of these precious space rocks on Earth. However, global warming poses a significant threat to their survival, with a new analysis predicting that nearly three-quarters of Antarctica’s meteorites could disappear from the ice sheet surface by the end of the century.
Researchers at ETH Zurich’s department of civil, environmental and geomatic engineering used a machine-learning algorithm to assess how Antarctic meteorites will be affected by changing climate conditions. These meteorites are typically found in “blue ice” areas, where wind uncovers older ice that appears blue against the continent’s white backdrop. Due to their dark surfaces, they are sensitive to temperature changes, causing them to sink when exposed to sunlight due to melting ice beneath them.
The study projects that 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 devastating 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. Therefore researchers emphasize the urgent need to collect as many Antarctic meteorites as possible before they become inaccessible.
Glaciologist Harry Zekollari who led the research highlighted the importance of preserving these meteorites by comparing it with disappearance data obtained from rapidly melting glaciers saying that once these samples are gone so are some secrets about universe’s past.
Therefore accelerating efforts to recover Antarctic
