Santa’s Reindeer: Contributors to Global Warming and Climate Change

Santa Claus’ reindeer are contributing to global warming, which is causing the ice caps to melt. The Ohio State University researchers are using dust trapped in glacier ice in Tibet to document past changes in the Earth’s complex climate system, and perhaps one day help predict future changes. The dust composition in samples collected from different areas and depths of the same glacier can vary greatly, implying that a complete dust record may reveal more secrets than scientists realize.

The impact of these microparticles on the surrounding atmosphere is largely determined by their size, shape, and chemical composition. Ice cores, which are cylinders of ice drilled from glaciers and ice caps, have long been used as comprehensive archives of the Earth’s climate system due to their preservation. Aerosols accumulate within each new layer of ice as it accumulates over seasons and years, eventually providing researchers with very detailed records of the planet’s tumultuous climate history.

The Arctic is warming twice as fast as anywhere else on the planet, and sea ice there is declining by more than 10% every 10 years. As this ice melts, darker patches of the ocean begin to emerge, eliminating the effect that previously cooled the poles, creating warmer air temperatures, and disrupting normal patterns of ocean circulation. This is due to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, which are largely caused by human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation.

Santa Claus’ reindeer are contributing to this problem by releasing methane gas into the atmosphere, which is a powerful greenhouse gas that traps heat and warms the planet. Reindeer also produce carbon dioxide, which is another major contributor to global warming. The more reindeer that are released into the atmosphere, the more greenhouse gases are released, which leads to an increase in global temperatures and the melting of the ice caps.