Antarctica

The nunatak refuge hypothesis is that life retreated during ice ages to ice-free refuges on mountain tops (nunataks) and moraines, across the continent. Evidence for this theory comes from springtail specimens and geological records. This map of an ice-free Antarctica (a) reveals land above sea-level (green/yellow/brown). Every known springtail sampled…

AnimalsThe odd bird, an Adélie penguin, has a genetic mutation that affects the amount of pigment in its feathers. ByJason Bittel Published March 24, 2023 • 3 min read Antarctica’s Cape Crozier is not somewhere tourists or even scientists usually go. To protect one of Earth’s largest Adélie penguin colonies,…

The mystery of the 'bleeding' waterfalls in Antarctica were solved after decades of confusion and speculation. Take a look at any picture or video of Blood Falls and you'll soon see where it gets its name. Situated in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, the flow of water looks like…

Antarctica sea ice as of February 21, 2023. Annotated with the 1981-2010 median sea ice extent. The long-term trend for sea ice in the south is still flat, while the global trend points downward. In February 2023, sea ice around Antarctica reached the lowest extent ever observed since the start of the…

Since the discovery 50 years ago of subglacial lakes in Antarctica — some of the least accessible geological features on Earth — scientists have attempted to extract lake bed sediment to learn about the formation, movement and past conditions of the ice sheet. Now, a team of researchers with the…

Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest extent in the 45-year satellite data record last month - Copyright AFP - Marlowe HOOD Sea ice in Antarctica shrank to the smallest area on record in February for the second year in a row, continuing a decade-long decline, the European Union’s climate monitoring…

Earth’s climate is controlled by a complex network of interactions between the atmosphere, oceans, lands, ice and biosphere. Many elements in this system are now being pushed toward tipping points, beyond which changes become self-sustaining, with the whole Earth system potentially shifting to a new steady state.A recent study analyzed…

Mosses, one of the few types of plants living in Antarctica, have a tenuous existence, threatened by advancing glaciers. When glaciers move, they can entomb or cover a plant — starving it of light and warmth. Scientists have discovered that the timing of when a glacier killed a moss, the…

A giant phantom jellyfish (Stygiomedusa gigantea) encountered off the Antarctic Peninsula during a Viking cruise. (Image credit: Antony Gilbert)Rare sightings of giant phantom jellyfish — deep-sea creatures that look like UFO spaceships with thick ribbons streaming from their undersides — have been reported by cruise liner passengers who spotted the…

Mission Blue has announced its latest “Hope Spot” in East Antarctica. The new East Antarctic Hope Spot is home to a myriad of wildlife, including seals, penguins, whales, and toothfish. The presence of sea ice in this area is essential for many species, including Antarctic silverfish and krill, according to…