Meteorites at Risk: How Global Warming Threatens Antarctica’s Meteorite Treasure Trove

Researchers are warning that global warming is putting at risk the world’s largest concentration of meteorites, located in Antarctica. A new study predicts that over 70 percent of the continent’s meteorites could disappear from the ice sheet surface by the end of the century. This would make it extremely difficult to locate and retrieve these valuable space rocks.

The research, published in Nature Climate Change, used a machine learning algorithm to forecast how Antarctic meteorites will be affected by simulated climate conditions. These meteorites accumulated in stranding zones on the continent thousands of years ago and are now embedded in the ice. They are commonly found in “blue ice” areas, where wind uncovers older ice that appears blue against the white landscape.

Meteorites are highly sensitive to temperature and exposure to sunlight can cause their dark surface to warm up, melting the ice beneath them and causing them to sink below the surface. Under all emissions scenarios, at least 5,000 meteorites will disappear annually. With every tenth of a degree increase in temperature, the loss of meteorites could range from 5,100 to 12,200, and under a high-emissions scenario, 76 percent of the areas currently covered by meteorites could be lost.

The potential loss of these meteorites would be devastating for space scientists as they contain valuable information about our solar system’s development. Dating back billions of years, they offer insights into stars