According to researcher Boyer, ammonia derived from penguin guano does not directly create atmospheric particles, but it significantly accelerates the formation process of these particles.
“The primary contributor to sulfur is dimethyl sulfide released by phytoplankton,” he explained. “While sulfuric acid can generate new particles on its own, the presence of ammonia increases this process’s speed by a factor of 1,000 or even more, increasing efficiency by up to four orders of magnitude thanks to the guano.”
This phenomenon is particularly significant in Antarctica, where alternative sources of atmospheric particles, such as pollution or tree emissions, are scarce.
“The potency of this source is crucial for its long-term climate impact,” he noted. “Any changes in this source are likely to affect climate dynamics.”
Further investigation is necessary to ascertain whether the effects of penguin guano lead to a net cooling of the climate. Boyer mentioned that if the particles drift out to sea and aid in cloud generation, they could contribute to cooling effects.
“Interestingly,” he added, “if these clouds form over icy surfaces, they might lead to warming, as clouds tend to reflect less sunlight than the ice below. This interaction could potentially decrease the amount of heat that would typically be reflected by the brighter ice. Though our study did not explore this effect, it is an important area for future research.”
The influence of guano persists even after penguins vacate their breeding grounds. Boyer indicated that a month post-departure, ammonia concentrations in the atmosphere remained 1,000 times higher than baseline levels.
“Ammonia emissions are dependent on temperature, so it is likely that this substance gets trapped in the atmosphere during winter,” he stated. “However, I hypothesize that as temperatures rise before the penguins return, guano may start emitting ammonia again. Given that penguins forage along the entire coast, they might be effectively fertilizing vast coastal areas with ammonia.”
