Amazon Wildfires Accelerate Melting in Antarctica, Even Thousands of Kilometers Away

Recent studies have revealed a surprising connection between wildfires in the Amazon and the melting of glaciers on the Antarctic Peninsula, a phenomenon occurring thousands of kilometers away. Published in Science Advances, the study shows that the soot released by the fires contributes to warming in the Antarctic region, accelerating the melting of glaciers. Furthermore, tourist vessels in Antarctica play a significant role, being responsible for half of the soot that reaches the region.

While global warming is the primary cause of glacier melt, affecting the oceans and atmosphere around Antarctica, scientists have identified new factors that intensify this process, such as soot. Since the 1970s, wildfires in the Amazon and other parts of South America have released up to 800,000 tons of soot per year, nearly double the amount of soot produced by fossil fuels in Europe.

The smoke, laden with soot, rises to altitudes of up to 5 km and, driven by strong winds, travels more than 6,000 kilometers to reach the Antarctic Peninsula in less than two weeks. When these particles settle on the snow, they warm the ice, forming small puddles around them. This happens because soot, or black carbon, absorbs heat intensely due to its dark color, similar to how black clothes heat up more under the sun, explains Márcio Cataldo, co-author of the study and professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ).

Although scientists were already aware that Amazon soot reached Antarctica, the growing number of wildfires has intensified the flow and impact of these particles. According to the study, each square meter of the Antarctic Peninsula loses about 150 grams of ice per day, the equivalent of a cup of coffee. Although it may seem small, the impact is significant, especially considering the vastness of the region, which is experiencing the highest temperatures in 2,000 years, according to climatologist Heitor Evangelista, leader of the UERJ study.

Research published in Nature shows that soot had already reached Antarctica since the 13th century, coming from wildfires set by the Māori in New Zealand. However, modern soot levels are ten times higher than those of previous centuries, as noted by Robert Mulvaney from the British Antarctic Survey in an interview with BBC News Brazil. Soot, without recognizing borders, can also affect the Andean glaciers, contributing to the melting of up to 5% of the ice in Bolivia’s mountains, a vital resource for millions of people, according to a UERJ study led by Newton de Magalhães Neto.

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