New research has revealed that the guano (animal dung used as fertiliser) of around 60,000 Adélie penguins produces enough airborne ammonia to help form cloud-seeding aerosols in the atmosphere. Those clouds in turn reflect sunlight and create a small but important cooling effect in one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth.
Using sensitive instruments, the Antarctica-based research team detected spikes in atmospheric ammonia when winds blew from a penguin colony located five miles away. Even after the penguins left their breeding grounds, ammonia levels remained elevated for at least a month as the guano continued releasing the gas and contributing to local cloud formation.
Understanding this dynamic helps scientists improve their models for how Antarctica will transform as the world warms. Scientists can now explore whether certain penguin species produce more ammonia and therefore create greater cooling effects.
Researchers further demonstrated that ammonia triggers an atmospheric chain reaction which leads to the rapid formation of aerosol particles. Clouds form when water vapor clings to various aerosols, like soot and pollen, floating around in the atmosphere.
In heavily populated areas, soot and pollen particles are more abundant in the atmosphere due to emissions from industries and vehicles. Trees and other vegetation also release aerosols, but since Antarctica lacks trees and has minimal vegetation, aerosols from penguin guano play a significant role.
“This shows just how interconnected life is, even in a place as remote as Antarctica,” lead researcher Matthew Boyer from the University of Helsinki said in a statement.
Scientists may now explore whether other seabird colonies help form such clouds and how protecting them from species vulnerabilities might be key to preserving Earth’s natural climate buffers.
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