Research led by polar scientists from Northumbria University has revealed new hope in natural environmental systems found in East Antarctica which could help mitigate the overall rise of carbon dioxide in the
Research led by polar scientists from Northumbria University has revealed new hope in natural environmental systems found in East Antarctica which could help mitigate the overall rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over long timescales.
As Antarctica's ice sheets thin due to climate change, newly exposed mountain peaks could significantly increase the supply of vital nutrients to the Southern Ocean which surrounds the continent, potentially enhancing its ability to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to the research published in Nature Communications.
A team of scientists with expertise in oceanography, ice sheet modelling and geochemistry contributed to the study which looked at analysis of sediment samples from East Antarctica's Sør Rondane Mountains. They discovered that weathered rocks exposed above the ice surface contain iron concentrations up to ten times higher than previously reported from the Antarctic continent. This bioavailable iron is transported to the ocean by glaciers and icebergs, where it fuels the growth of phytoplankton – microscopic marine organisms that absorb CO₂ through photosynthesis.
The study found that sediments from mountain peaks protruding through the ice – known as nunataks – had over three times more extractable iron compared to sediments already being transported by glaciers. Some visibly rust-stained rock
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