Archive · 26 May 2025
Penguin Poo Cools Antarctica, Study Finds
Imagine penguins are tiny climate helpers!
Their poop, called guano, releases a gas called ammonia.
This ammonia mixes with other stuff in the air from tiny plants in the ocean.
Together, they make tiny particles that create clouds.
These clouds reflect the sun's light back into space, which helps cool down Antarctica.
The scientists found that the poop from penguins makes these clouds much faster, up to 10,000 times faster.
Even though penguins face their own climate challenges, this shows how they indirectly influence the world's climate!
Scientists discovered penguin guano may cool Antarctica by cloud formation.
Ammonia from penguin colonies boosts cloud-seeding aerosol creation.
Measurements near Marambio Base showed high ammonia levels from penguin colonies.
Guano-laden soil acts as a slow-release source for ammonia.
The penguin-plankton relationship could be disrupted by declining penguin populations.
- Who
- Scientists, including Matthew Boyer from the University of Helsinki, conducted the study.
- What
- Penguin guano helps cool Antarctica by creating cloud-seeding aerosols.
- When
- Measurements were taken between January and March 2023.
- Where
- Coastal Antarctica near Argentina’s Marambio Base.
- Why
- Penguin guano releases ammonia, which combines with other compounds to form clouds that reflect sunlight, potentially cooling the Antarctic.
- Penguin Species
- Adélie penguins
- Source of Ammonia
- Guano
- Ammonia Concentration Spike
- Up to 13.5 parts per billion
- Ammonia Increase
- 1,000 times higher than background
- Particle Formation Boost
- Up to 10,000 times faster
- Measurement Period
- January to March 2023