Believe it or not, this lush landscape is Antarctica
undefined 8, 2024
A rapidly warming region of Antarctica is turning greener at an alarming rate. Satellite imagery of the Antarctic Peninsula reveals that vegetation has expanded nearly 14-fold in 35 years, with plant-covered areas growing from less than one square kilometer in 1986 to almost 12 square kilometers in 2021. The growth rate accelerated by 33% between 2016 and 2021. Researchers attribute this transformation to climate change, with temperatures in the region rising by almost 3°C since 1950. This shift from ice to plant life could lead to the spread of non-native, invasive species, threatening native Antarctic flora that are adapted to extreme conditions.
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