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; Gino Casassa

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-28560-w

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. KhanGino Casassa

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34 Citations (Scopus)

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.

Original language	English
Article number	984
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	13
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28560-w
Publication status	Published - Dec 2022

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Chemistry
General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Physics and Astronomy

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Cordero, R. R., Sepúlveda, E., Feron, S., Damiani, A., Fernandoy, F., Neshyba, S., Rowe, P. M., Asencio, V., Carrasco, J., Alfonso, J. A., Llanillo, P., Wachter, P., Seckmeyer, G., Stepanova, M., Carrera, J. M., Jorquera, J., Wang, C., Malhotra, A., Dana, J., ... Casassa, G. (2022). Black carbon footprint of human presence in Antarctica. Nature Communications, 13(1), Article 984. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28560-w

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title = "Black carbon footprint of human presence in Antarctica",

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.",

author = "Cordero, {Ra{\'u}l R.} and Edgardo Sep{\'u}lveda and Sarah Feron and Alessandro Damiani and Francisco Fernandoy and Steven Neshyba and Rowe, {Penny M.} and Valentina Asencio and Jorge Carrasco and Alfonso, {Juan A.} and Pedro Llanillo and Paul Wachter and Gunther Seckmeyer and Marina Stepanova and Carrera, {Juan M.} and Jose Jorquera and Chenghao Wang and Avni Malhotra and Jacob Dana and Khan, {Alia L.} and Gino Casassa",

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Cordero, RR, Sepúlveda, E, Feron, S, Damiani, A, Fernandoy, F, Neshyba, S, Rowe, PM, Asencio, V, Carrasco, J, Alfonso, JA, Llanillo, P, Wachter, P, Seckmeyer, G, Stepanova, M, Carrera, JM, Jorquera, J, Wang, C, Malhotra, A, Dana, J, Khan, AL & Casassa, G 2022, 'Black carbon footprint of human presence in Antarctica', Nature Communications, vol. 13, no. 1, 984. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28560-w

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T1 - Black carbon footprint of human presence in Antarctica

AU - Cordero, Raúl R.

AU - Sepúlveda, Edgardo

AU - Feron, Sarah

AU - Damiani, Alessandro

AU - Fernandoy, Francisco

AU - Neshyba, Steven

AU - Rowe, Penny M.

AU - Asencio, Valentina

AU - Carrasco, Jorge

AU - Alfonso, Juan A.

AU - Llanillo, Pedro

AU - Wachter, Paul

AU - Seckmeyer, Gunther

AU - Stepanova, Marina

AU - Carrera, Juan M.

AU - Jorquera, Jose

AU - Wang, Chenghao

AU - Malhotra, Avni

AU - Dana, Jacob

AU - Khan, Alia L.

AU - Casassa, Gino

PY - 2022/12

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Black carbon footprint of human presence in Antarctica

Abstract

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