What’s the big stink about Antarctica?
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Our atmosphere is full of tiny chemical particles that help form clouds. These particles control our daily weather and even the planet’s overall climate. And some of them smell! Why?
Matt Boyer and team at the University of Helsinki sniffed around Antarctica’s atmosphere.
Unexpected answers were found in nearby penguin colonies. Their poop was a major source of ammonia in the Antarctic atmosphere! The penguin’s ammonia boosted particle formation to fifteen thousand particles per cubic centimeter – enough to affect the weather. Ugh, P-U!
It’s just another reminder of how interconnected nature is…
But it sounds like those clouds have gone with the wind!
Reference: Boyer, M., Quéléver, L., Brasseur, Z. et al. Penguin guano is an important source of climate-relevant aerosol particles in Antarctica. Commun Earth Environ 6, 368 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02312-2