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Why is Antarctica getting greener and greener?

Why is Antarctica getting greener and greener?

Antarctica is becoming increasingly green, a transformation particularly visible in the Antarctic Peninsula where areas covered by vegetation have increased tenfold in the past 40 years. This was revealed by a study published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience, based on satellite observations from the Landsat program developed by NASA and the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Why is Antarctica getting greener and greener?

Plant coverage in the region, which until 1986 did not exceed 0.9 square kilometers, has now reached 12 square kilometers. In all likelihood, according to the researchers, this is a consequence of climate change: increasing temperatures and humidity levels have created the conditions for the development of mosses. The latter are considered precursors of other plant species that may begin to grow in the near future in the same area.

What is also worrying is the dynamics of the phenomenon: researchers have found a greater increase in green coverage in the last five years under study, compared to the entire period considered. In fact, between 2016 and 2021, the growth rate was 0.424 square kilometers per year, compared to 0.317 recorded since 1986