Nov 2, 2025 07:05 AM
We're putting lots of transition metals into the stratosphere. That's not good.
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/w...s-not-good
INTRO: We successfully plugged the hole in the ozone layer that was discovered in the 1980s by banning ozone depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). But, it seems we might be unintentionally creating another potential atmospheric calamity by using the upper atmosphere to destroy huge constellations of satellites after a very short (i.e. 5 year) lifetime. According to a new paper by Leonard Schulz of the Technical University of Braunschweig and his co-authors, material from satellites that burn up in the atmosphere, especially transition metals, could have unforeseen consequences on atmospheric chemistry - and we’re now the biggest contributor of some of those elements.
It’s been a long time coming that we would be though - Earth has plenty of other material spread through its upper atmosphere via meteorites burning up. In fact, even now, according to the paper, the total mass of material injected into the atmosphere from rockets and satellites is only about 7% of the mass of meteors that hit Earth annually. However, since the rockets and satellites are primarily made up of metals, whereas meteors are primarily made of up silicates, the amount of metal we inject into the atmosphere is around 16% that of natural causes.
That may not sound like much, but for a few particular elements it's much, much higher. In 2015, anthropogenic (i.e. human-made) sources were the highest contributor to 18 different elements in the atmosphere. In 2024 that number jumped to 24 different elements. That could grow to as much as 30 different elements that we will be the primary reason for their increased levels in the atmosphere in the coming decades.
Some of those elements are relatively common on the Earth itself - such as lithium and tin - and they shouldn’t have any major impacts on the atmosphere. However, some are “transition metals”, which are well known for their catalytic activity. Their increased presence in the atmosphere could catalyze reactions that could have devastating impacts on atmospheric chemistry at large. These elements include several that are fundamental to spacecraft construction such as copper (wirings / PCB traces) and titanium (structural supports).
By the paper’s calculations, the injections of those elements have more than doubled in the last 10 years, primarily due to the advent of satellite mega-constellations like Starlink and Kuiper... (MORE - details)
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/w...s-not-good
INTRO: We successfully plugged the hole in the ozone layer that was discovered in the 1980s by banning ozone depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). But, it seems we might be unintentionally creating another potential atmospheric calamity by using the upper atmosphere to destroy huge constellations of satellites after a very short (i.e. 5 year) lifetime. According to a new paper by Leonard Schulz of the Technical University of Braunschweig and his co-authors, material from satellites that burn up in the atmosphere, especially transition metals, could have unforeseen consequences on atmospheric chemistry - and we’re now the biggest contributor of some of those elements.
It’s been a long time coming that we would be though - Earth has plenty of other material spread through its upper atmosphere via meteorites burning up. In fact, even now, according to the paper, the total mass of material injected into the atmosphere from rockets and satellites is only about 7% of the mass of meteors that hit Earth annually. However, since the rockets and satellites are primarily made up of metals, whereas meteors are primarily made of up silicates, the amount of metal we inject into the atmosphere is around 16% that of natural causes.
That may not sound like much, but for a few particular elements it's much, much higher. In 2015, anthropogenic (i.e. human-made) sources were the highest contributor to 18 different elements in the atmosphere. In 2024 that number jumped to 24 different elements. That could grow to as much as 30 different elements that we will be the primary reason for their increased levels in the atmosphere in the coming decades.
Some of those elements are relatively common on the Earth itself - such as lithium and tin - and they shouldn’t have any major impacts on the atmosphere. However, some are “transition metals”, which are well known for their catalytic activity. Their increased presence in the atmosphere could catalyze reactions that could have devastating impacts on atmospheric chemistry at large. These elements include several that are fundamental to spacecraft construction such as copper (wirings / PCB traces) and titanium (structural supports).
By the paper’s calculations, the injections of those elements have more than doubled in the last 10 years, primarily due to the advent of satellite mega-constellations like Starlink and Kuiper... (MORE - details)