Antarctica increasingly impacted by tourism: “a single tourist can help accelerate the melting of around 100 tonnes of snow”

How the melting of the Antarctic Banquise promotes storms in Belgium

The ships that carry tourists use fossil fuels at the origin of fine particles. However, These are responsible for accelerating the melting of snow. In addition, says Raul Cordero, scientist of the University of Groningen (Netherlands) and co-author of the study.

“Snow melts faster in Antarctica due to the presence of polluting particles in areas frequented by tourists. Therefore, ” he explained during a telephone interview with AFP from Santiago. “A single tourist can help accelerate the melting of around 100 tonnes of snow,” he said.

A team of researchers from countries like Chile. Germany and the Netherlands have traveled for about four years about 2,000 kilometers in Antarctica to measure the presence of this contamination.

Tourism. scientific expeditions – Antarctica increasingly impacted tourism: "a

Heavy antarctica increasingly impacted tourism: “a metals have also increased due to scientific expeditions, whose prolonged stays can have an impact up to 10 times that of a tourist, underlines the expert.

The study recognizes “progress” in the protection of Antarctica. such as the ban on heavy fuel oil, an oil derivative, and the use of ships combining electricity and fossil fuels.

40 restaurants, ice skating track, gigantic aquaparc: the icon of the seas, the mega-cruise of cruise that wants to be … less polluting

However. “to reduce the imprint of energy -consuming human activities in Antarctica, it will be necessary to accelerate the energy transition and limit the use of fossil fuels, in particular near sensitive areas,” said the study.

Antarctica quickly loses its mass due to global warming. According to the National Administration of Aeronautics. Space (NASA), the white continent loses 135 billion tonnes of snow and ice per antarctica increasingly impacted tourism: “a year since 2002.