Some parts of the normally icy continent of Antarctica are turning green with plant life at abnormally rapid rates due to warming temperatures. The change can be seen in a new map created by NASA's Earth Observatory.
The scientists used satellite imagery and data to look at the levels of vegetative growth on the Antarctic Peninsula, a long chain of mountains that points north to the tip of South America. The area has been warming significantly faster than the global average.
According to the new study, plant life -- primarily mosses -- has increased more than tenfold within the harsh landscape over the past four decades.
In 1986, vegetation covered less than 0.4 square miles of the Antarctic Peninsula, but by 2021, it had reached nearly five square miles.
Between 2016 and 2021, the rate of greening in the region has also accelerated by more than 30 percent. The researchers obtained these numbers by analyzing data collected through the Landsat program, which has been capturing images of the Earth's land surface since 1972.
This summer, parts of the continent went through a heat wave. Temperatures climbed up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit above normal from the middle of July.
The most extreme temperatures ever recorded in Antarctica were in March 2022, when they were up to 70 degrees above normal.
"The landscape is still almost entirely dominated by snow, ice, and rock, with only a tiny fraction colonized by plant life," said Dr. Thomas Roland, one of the authors of the study and an environmental scientist from the University of Exeter in England.
"But that tiny fraction has grown dramatically -- showing that even this vast and isolated 'wilderness' is being affected by anthropogenic climate change."
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The findings confirm that even a place as cold and remote as Antarctica can feel the effects of climate change. As temperatures all over the world increase, the size of glaciers and ice sheets are shrinking to expose more land for plant life to grow on.
The land does not exactly contain rich, fertile soil, so it takes several stages for plant life to build itself up. First, algae and cyanobacteria emerge on the land, inhabiting the spaces between sandy grains. They create a foundation for other plants to grow on, such as lichens and mosses.
Over time, larger plants use the damp, mossy surface to establish themselves and flourish. In addition to mosses, Antarctica has two native species of vascular plants -- Antarctica hair grass and Antarctica pearlwort.
They used to be rare on the continent but have now become increasingly common due to rising temperatures.
The scientists predict that Antarctica will keep on warming if fossil fuel pollution rates are not reduced. This greening is only likely to speed up as well, paving the way for more invasive plant species. So far, over 100 non-native plant species have invaded the continent.