News Chemistry

Melting icebergs fertilize ocean

Release of extra iron boosts carbon dioxide uptake by plankton

By Janet Raloff

- More than 2 years ago

Efforts to remove climate-warming carbon dioxide from Earth’s atmosphere appear to be getting a helping hand from a surprising source: the iron in meltwater from Antarctic icebergs.

CASTING IRON In iron-poor Antarctic waters, meltwater from icebergs is fertilizing the seas with the metal, fueling a proliferation of sea life — and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.