Study Shows Tenfold Increase in 40 Years Massive Surge in Antarctic Vegetation as Climate Change Accelerates
The Antarctic Peninsula long considered one of the most isolated and inhospitable regions on Earth, is experiencing a dramatic transformation as a result of climate change. A new study has revealed that vegetation cover in the area has increased more than tenfold over the past four decades, with satellite data showing a surge from less than one square kilometer in 1986 to nearly 12 square kilometers by 2021.
Published in Nature Geoscience, the research, conducted by the universities of Exeter and Hertfordshire, along with the British Antarctic Survey, highlights the significant acceleration of this "greening" process. Between 2016 and 2021, the expansion rate surged by over 30%, with vegetation spreading by more than 400,000 square meters annually. The extreme warming in the polar regio...
