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Climate Change Threatens Antarctic Meteorites, Imperiling Cosmic Insights

Rising temperatures are causing thousands of meteorites to sink into Antarctic ice, with significant losses expected by 2050.

Field guide in a blue ice area during a mission to take ice samples. Photo taken during the 2023-2024 fieldwork mission of the Instituto Antártico Chileno (INACH) to Union Glacier, Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica. Credit: Veronica Tollenaar, Université libre de Bruxelles
(Credit: Veronica Tollenaar, Université Libre de Bruxelles.)
Dark rocks strewn across the ice in Antarctica

Overview

  • For every 0.1°C rise in global air temperature, nearly 9,000 meteorites may disappear from Antarctica's ice surfaces.
  • By 2050, up to three-quarters of the estimated 300,000 to 800,000 meteorites could be lost due to accelerated ice melt.
  • Antarctica, home to about 60% of all meteorites found on Earth, faces significant challenges in preserving these extraterrestrial samples.
  • Researchers emphasize the urgent need to boost recovery efforts and explore uncharted meteorite stranding zones.
  • Long-term preservation of meteorites hinges on global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.