Earther

Antarctica and Greenland Are on Track for the Worst-Case Climate Scenario

As the world’s ice sheets have been cracking up and melting down, climatologists have warned that further decimation could cause devastating levels of sea level rise. Now, a recent study shows that ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica are melting at a pace on par with the worst-case climate scenarios scientists have predicted, putting coastal … Continued

Earther

Hydrofracturing Is the Latest Concern for Antarctica’s Ice Shelves

Antarctica’s coast is home to roughly 50 ice shelves—floating ledges of ice that jut out from the edge of the continent into the ocean—large enough to have names. There’s our old friend Larsen, the very relatably named Quar, the fancy-pants King Edwards, and others. Remember them now because as the planet warms, these ice shelves … Continued

Earther

Satellite Images Reveal New Penguin Colonies in Melting Antarctica

Satellites have spotted eight new emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica, as well as confirmed the existence of three others. While this sounds good, the unfortunate reality is that these newly discovered penguins are just as threatened as the rest. Documented in a paper published in the Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation journal on Tuesday, … Continued

ScienceSpace & Spaceflight

This Is the Best Spot on Earth for Stargazing—If You Can Handle It

Good news, everyone! Astronomers have pinpointed the best location on Earth for studying the stars. But if you’re an amateur astronomer hoping to take advantage of this astronomical sweet spot, you’ll have to bundle up, as it’s in the heart of Antarctica, one of the coldest places on the planet. Dome A—the highest ice dome … Continued

Earther

Ancient Ice Loss in Antarctica’s Most Stable Region Paints a Bleak Picture of What Could Come

A new paper suggests that the East Antarctic ice sheet may not be as stable as we thought. Looking at ancient melting, the study finds evidence that this piece of the Antarctic experienced melting 400,000 years ago when the world was 1.8 to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (1 to 2 degrees Celsius) warmer. Enough ice melted … Continued

Earther

The South Pole Is Warming Three Times Faster Than the Rest of Earth

Warm air doesn’t reach Antarctica as easily as the rest of the globe, but a new study has found that not even the South Pole is safe from the influences of human-driven climate change. The study, published Monday in Nature Climate Change, found that, in the last three decades, the region has warmed at three … Continued

Earther

At Least Some Penguins Benefited From Record Antarctic Sea Ice Loss

Antarctica’s sea ice has crashed in recent years. It’s nothing to celebrate, but apparently some Antarctic penguins are loving it. A new study out Wednesday found that a group of Adélie penguins actually thrived during a period of sea ice loss. Don’t get too excited, though. This sea ice loss doesn’t affect all penguins the … Continued

Earther

The Mystery of Antarctica’s Record Drop in Sea Ice Has Been Solved

Ice in the polar regions has been under assault from rising ocean and water temperatures. While human-driven climate change is driving widespread weirdness, natural patterns can also lead to chaos. A prime of example of said chaos was the freakishly low sea ice extent in Antarctica in 2016 and 2017. Ice extent crashed hard everywhere, … Continued

Earther

Ancient Antarctic Ice Sheet Loss Dwarfs Modern Melting, Study Finds

More than a year ago, researcher Julian Dowdeswell boarded a research vessel at the edge of the Fimbul ice shelf to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula. He and six other scientists with the University of Cambridge were setting off as part of an expedition to study the ancient patterns of ice sheet retreat along … Continued

Earther

The World’s Largest Iceberg Just Had a Baby

There’s a new baby in town. No, I don’t mean Grimes’ and Elon Musk’s new baby, X Æ A-12, although this other baby’s name is about as robot-like. I’m talking, of course, about A-68C, the new little iceberg that broke off Antarctica’s Larsen C Ice Shelf in late April. What a cutie pie! The new … Continued

Earther

NASA Space Lasers Offer ‘Fantastically Detailed’ Look at the World’s Ice Loss

The ice sheets are melting, and a new study research relies on state-of-the-art technology to reveal where the biggest losses are happening. It’s pretty freaking cool even if the results are bad news. The findings, published in Science on Thursday, use space lasers to create a detailed view of the planet’s biggest pieces of ice. … Continued

Earther

Great, Climate Change Is Coming for These Cute Seal Boys

Crabeater seals have historically been quite successful. Their population ranges around 15 million, and conservationists haven’t had to worry too much about them—until now. Climate change is quickly changing the habitat of these cute Antarctic critters, and a new study shows that these seals will have to work harder for their food in a warmer … Continued

Earther

Scientists Are Sticking Cameras on Whales to Explore the Changing Antarctic

The waters surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula are warming rapidly, yet we know very little about how this is impacting some of the region’s most charismatic denizens: the filter-feeding baleen whales that call this icy realm home. But a team of scientists is hoping to change that with the help of their flippered subjects. They’re flying … Continued

EartherEarth Science

Shocking Study Reveals Ancient Rainforest Existed Near the South Pole

During the Cretaceous period, a balmy forest grew less than 600 miles from the South Pole, according to new research that uncovered ancient spores and roots. Millions of years ago, Earth’s atmosphere had several times more carbon dioxide than it does even today, making the Cretaceous one of the warmest periods of the planet. But … Continued

EartherClimate Change

It’s Straight Up Balmy in Antarctica

Picture this: It’s 68 degrees Fahrenheit. You’re comfortably rocking a light denim jacket. You’re sipping a gin and tonic. You’ve got a picnic blanket and a spread of raw veggies and dips. The wind is in your hair. So nice to be in…the Antarctic. Seriously, it’s straight up balmy in Antarctica right now. On Sunday, … Continued

EartherClimate Change

Uh Oh, Antarctica Just Set a New Heat Record

It’s positively balmy in Antarctica. The National Meteorological Service of Argentina announced on Twitter that its Esperanza weather station recorded a new high for the continent: 18.3 degrees Celsius (64.9 degrees Fahrenheit). The previous temperature record for Antarctica was set on March 24, 2015, when this same weather station recorded 17.5 degrees Celsius (63.5 degrees … Continued

EartherClimate Change

‘Goosebumps’: Researchers Capture First Video From Under Antarctica’s Most Endangered Glacier

Thwaites Glacier is one of the most remote parts of the Antarctic (which is saying a lot) and yet its fate is intimately tied with millions of people around the world. The glacier is the bulwark against ice stored on West Antarctica. If it collapses, it could destabilize the region’s ice and send sea levels … Continued

EartherClimate Change

Antarctic Ice Melt May Have Hit an All-Time High on Christmas Eve

There are signs Antarctica just experienced its highest melt extent ever recorded in the satellite era. The big meltdown hit on Christmas Eve and is bad news for a continent already dealing with a lot. With summer is just getting started there, this is a serious case of Summertime Sadness. Antarctic is the largest stash … Continued

ScienceHealth

Antarctic Explorers’ Brains Shrunk During a 14-Month Polar Expedition

Spending over a year in the bleak desolation that is Antarctica might change your brain for the worse, according to new research out this month. It seems to show that polar explorers who lived for 14 months at an Antarctica research station experienced brain shrinkage, likely as a result of their isolation and boredom. But … Continued

Tech News

42 Researchers Stranded in Antarctica After Icebreaker Broke Down

A team of 42 French researchers are stranded on an Antarctica research base after a busted propeller prevented an icebreaker ship from taking them home. Dozens of crew members are currently stationed at France’s Antarctica base Dumont d’Urville, which depends on deliveries from the L’Astrolabe ship, according to Australia’s ABC news. Last week the icebreaker … Continued