2050 could see 25% of Antarctic meteorites lost due to climate change, endangering our understanding of Earth and Moon origins.

Climate change endangers Antarctic meteorites, with a study by Swiss and Belgian researchers estimating a loss of 5,100 to 12,200 meteorites for every tenth of a degree Celsius increase in global air temperature. By 2050, about 25% of the 300,000-800,000 meteorites in Antarctica could be lost due to glacial melt, potentially rising to over 75% by the end of the century under high-warming scenarios. The loss of these extraterrestrial samples threatens our understanding of the origin of life on Earth and the Moon's formation.

April 08, 2024
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