Excretion with potential Penguin droppings help preserve Antarctic ice
Researchers have discovered that the droppings of adelie penguins can contribute to cloud formation and thus have a positive impact on the climate. A surprising effect with great potential.
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- The droppings of certain penguins help to protect the climate.
- This is due to the ammonia in their droppings, which promotes the formation of aerosol particles and thus cloud formation.
- Clouds slow down the melting of polar ice.
Scientists have identified a surprising savior for the melting Arctic ice: penguin droppings.
The solid excrement of Adelie penguins contains ammonia. This is released into the atmosphere, where it promotes the formation of aerosol particles, which are crucial for cloud formation and thus for how much shade or how much direct sunlight falls on the Antarctic ice.
A study published in "Communications Earth & Environment" shows that this effect could actually have a measurable impact on the climate, as SRF writes.
Effect persists even when only the droppings are still there
The team led by aerosol researcher Matthew Boyer carried out measurements at the Argentinian Marambio station in Antarctica in 2023. They found that ammonia concentrations rose sharply when the wind blew from the direction of a nearby penguin colony with 60,000 animals. These concentrations were up to 13,000 times higher than normal.
Interestingly, the effect remained measurable even after the penguins had left the colony. The feces left behind continued to cause an increased ammonia concentration. Despite the promising potential, however, numerous conditions must be met for this effect to actually occur.
This discovery highlights the importance of protecting penguins and their habitats, as they themselves are threatened by climate change. The droppings of these animals could prove to be an unexpected but valuable factor in the fight against global warming.