ECHOES OF THE LAST MIND

ORIGIN: https://www.yourweather.co.uk/news/

Antarctica’s melting ice has been linked to a possible climate “silver lining” — iron feeding algae that absorb CO₂. New field data suggest that iron boost has been overestimated

Researchers have measured iron inputs near a West Antarctic ice shelf and have found meltwater has contributed far less dissolved iron than many earlier estimates suggested.

Southern Ocean scientists have hoped for many years that melting Antarctic ice might actually have an upside, and be beneficial for the climate.

The idea was that more meltwater means more iron in the ocean, and iron can fuel phytoplankton blooms that draw carbon dioxide out of the air. But fresh field measurements from West Antarctica have put a big question mark on that.

Researchers from Rutgers University-New Brunswick say meltwater from an ice shelf has supplied far less iron than many studies had assumed – and most of the iron in the area appears to be coming from elsewhere.

Field tests beat theory

The team focused on the Dotson Ice Shelf in the Amundsen Sea, where relatively warm deep ocean water