Introduction
The article Climate Change Is Turning Antarctica Green was authored by Scott Waldman. The article was published in the Scientific American Journal on May 19th, 2017. The paper discusses a study conducted on the steady increase in the growth moss in Antarctica over the past 50 years due to climate change resulting in increased temperatures. This study analysed by Waldman was published in the Current Biology Journal.
Summary
The article discusses the rate at which the Antarctica is turning green compared to the rest of the continent in future. The cause of this greening of Antarctica is a result continual retreat of the glaciers in the region. Despite the remoteness of the Antarctica, the retreat of glaciers and ultimate greening of the region indicates that the effect of climate change is being felt in the Antarctica.
Despite the presence of plant life only 0.3 percent, recent research has shown that there is likelihood of significant as the region becomes warmer. The team that worked on the journal published in the Current Biology Journal studied moss’ cores over the last 150 years to show significant increase in the greenery in the Antarctica. The data showed significant increase in moss cover over the last five years.
The author also discusses the evidence of increase in growth of moss in the region. The team suggests that the thriving of phytoplankton’s in the Antarctica recently. Previous research by scientists claim that phytoplankton could not survive in the frigid sea of the arctic sea. Climate change has led to thinning of the ice and green patches has recently been observed in the region.
The paper also explains the reason why the Antarctica and arctic are warming at different rates. According to the article, the changes observed in Antarctica and the arctic are different with the change in Antarctica being less dramatic.
Response
The article provides enough evidence of the happening in the last 50 years to show that indeed the Antarctica is turning green due to climate change.
