Antarctica

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have gained unique insight into the mechanisms behind the collapse of Antarctic ice shelves, which are crucial for sea level rise in the Northern Hemisphere. The discovery of old aerial photos has provided an unparalleled dataset that can improve predictions of sea level rise…

Ice loss in Antarctica and its impact on the planet – sea level rise, changes to ocean currents and disturbance of wildlife and food webs – has been in the news a lot lately. All of these threats were likely on the minds of the delegates to the annual Antarctic…

The number of tourists heading to Antarctica has been skyrocketing. From fewer than 8,000 a year about three decades ago, nearly 125,000 tourists flocked to the icy continent in 2023–24. The trend is likely to continue in the long term. Unchecked tourism growth in Antarctica risks undermining the very environment…

Researchers have discovered a dramatic and unexpected shift in the Southern Ocean, with surface water salinity rising and sea ice in steep decline. Since 2015, Antarctica has lost sea ice equal to the size of Greenland -- the largest environmental shift seen anywhere on Earth in the last decades. The…

The melting of Antarctica’s sea ice has had severe consequences for the Southern Ocean already, from the loss of its habitats to the increase of its sea levels to the intensification of its storms and severe weather. But it turns out that things can always take a turn for the…

On her first dedicated scientific voyage to Antarctica in March, the Australian icebreaker RSV Nuyina found the area sea-ice free. Scientists were able to reach places never sampled before. Over the past four summers, Antarctic sea ice extent has hit new lows. I’m part of a large group of scientists…

Millions of years ago – where the perpetual ice of Antarctica and the dry dust of the Atacama Desert today stretch – lush forests flourished, full of araucaria trees, giant ferns, and vegetation that would seem unimaginable today. How did these verdant ecosystems transform into two of the most extreme…

Modern-day environments in Antarctica contain ponds filled with life forms that closely resemble early multicellular organisms. When Earth entered a deep freeze, where did life manage to survive? According to scientists at MIT, one possible refuge was meltwater pools scattered across the planet’s icy surface. In a study published in…

A humpback whale breaches off the coast of Port Stephens, north of Sydney, Australia last week. Mark Baker/Alamy Stock Photo a whale of a time They travel from feeding grounds in freezing Antarctica to tropical breeding areas off Queensland state. THE FERRY WAS late, but not because of the usual…

British Antarctic Survey Professor Mike Meredith is an oceanographer at British Antarctic Survey. He concludes a first of its kind science cruise on the RRS Sir David Attenborough conducting research in the polar winter. Winter in Antarctica is typically the preserve of the few hardy souls who "winter over" at…