Global warming may turn ice-free areas of Maritime and Peninsular Antarctica into potential soil organic carbon sinks

Dear researchers and interested parties,

We are excited to announce the publication of our recent research on Zenodo, presenting high-resolution (8 m) spatial models of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in ice-free areas of Maritime and Peninsular Antarctica. This research evaluates the potential impacts of climate change on SOC stocks under three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), providing a comprehensive understanding of the role these regions may play as carbon sinks in the face of intensified global warming.

Available resources:

SOC stock predictions:

We provide detailed maps of SOC estimates and uncertainties for different soil depths across various IPCC Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, including mean values (Mg ha⁻¹) and coefficients of variation (%). All maps are available in "tif" format, using the South Pole Stereographic projection system (ESRI:102021).

Open-Source Code and Data: The entire analytical workflow, developed in R, is accessible through our GitHub repository, ensuring reproducibility and transparency. Additional methodological details are provided in our publication:

Mello, D., Francelino, M. R., Moquedace, C. M., Baldi, C. G. O., Silva, L., Siqueira, R. G., Veloso, G. V., Fernandes-Filho, E. I., Thomazini, A., Demattê, J., Ferreira, T., Gomes, L. C., Senra, E., Schaefer, C. E. G. R. Global warming may turn ice-free areas of Maritime and Peninsular Antarctica into potential soil organic carbon sinks. Commun Earth Environ, v. 6, n. 1, p. 143, 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01937-z

Availability objectives:

Advancing scientific collaboration:

We invite scientists, researchers, and organizations to explore our findings to support additional studies on soil carbon dynamics and climate change.

Supporting environmental understanding:

By providing open access to these models, we aim to contribute to global knowledge on Antarctic soil carbon dynamics and assist in formulating sustainable climate mitigation strategies.

Fostering innovation:

Sharing this data aims to stimulate advances in spatial modeling and SOC prediction methodologies, especially in high-latitude environments.

We appreciate your interest and collaboration. We look forward to advancing knowledge and promoting sustainable solutions to essential environmental challenges together.