Scientists uncover disturbing pattern accelerating Antarctic ice loss: 'It's going to repeat'

Forest fires in the Amazon may be contributing to the acceleration of Antarctic ice melt, according to new research published by Environmental Data Science. If left unchecked, the loss of sea ice could lead to the melting of the continent's land ice.

What's happening?

Forest fires caused by human activity in the Amazon are having a potentially catastrophic impact thousands of miles away. Researchers found that the fires released black carbon, which was carried to the Antarctic via atmospheric aerosol rivers.

Science News likens aerosol rivers to streams that carry particles through the atmosphere. Black carbon that reaches Antarctica darkens the snow, causing it to absorb heat and thus melt faster.

Forest fires in the Amazon are primarily driven by deforestation and land clearance for agricultural purposes. Deforestation reached record highs during the tenure of former President Jair Bolsonaro. The far-right leader gutted the regulations protecting the forests to open them to commercial exploitation, as the Council on Foreign Relations wrote.

Why is faster sea ice melt in the Antarctic important?

As Sudip Chakraborty of the University of Maryland, one of the study's authors, explained, sea ice melting won't raise sea levels, "but it acts as a protective blanket over land ice. If you remove that blanket, land ice melts faster — and that does raise sea levels."

Rising sea levels pose a significant threat to island nations and coastal cities, increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. The study's findings aren't necessarily unique to the Amazon, either. They'll be found in other parts of the world, too.

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Jefferson Cardia Simões, a glaciologist at Brazil's Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, explained to Science News, "It's going to repeat."

What's being done to prevent rising sea levels?

Jair Bolsonaro's successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has made some progress in reversing the damage done by Bolsonaro's regime. In his first six months in office, deforestation dropped by a third, as the Associated Press reported. His promise to end deforestation by 2030 will be a tall order, given the challenging domestic political landscape.

Of course, this isn't solely Brazil's problem to solve. It will require a global shift away from dirty fuels toward clean, renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind. As much as international cooperation is needed, some of the most impactful work begins locally.

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