Antarctic scientists face breathalyzer tests due to alcohol-fueled fighting and ‘indecent exposure’

Breathalyzers could be used to curb alcohol abuse among scientists at US bases in Antarctica following “unpredictable behavior” caused by excess drinking, including fights and indecent exposure. Officials from the National Science Foundation told an audit of healthy and safety at the two US-run bases — McMurdo Station and the South Pole — that drinking has led to “unpredictable behavior […]

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Long Dark Winter at the South Pole

Winter at the South Pole

Few people have traveled to the South Pole since Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott reached the bottom of the world in the austral summer of 1911-12. Fewer still stay for the six months of darkness in the winter at the South Pole. The first crew to winter at the South Pole was in 1957, but only 1,267 people have spent the […]

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Japan to hunt 950 whales for “scientific research”

The Japanese whaling fleet is reportedly heading into the seas around Antarctica, drawing widespread condemnation from campaigners. Japan’s fleet of six ships left the port of Shimonoseki, western Japan with a quota of 940 minke whales and 10 fin whales. Calls for the Australian government to intervene have been rejected by the environment minister, Senator Ian Campbell. Japan’s whaling program, […]

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Flying Over Antarctica: Why Commercial Flights Avoid Antarctica

flying over Antarctica

Despite no legal prohibition on flying over Antarctica, the continent remains largely bypassed by regular commercial airlines. Experts point to a combination of environmental challenges, regulatory hurdles, and economic factors that make the South Pole a less-than-ideal route for modern aviation. Harsh Weather and Treacherous TerrainAntarctica is notorious for its extreme cold, unpredictable weather, and formidable terrain. Sudden storms, biting […]

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Floating Laboratory Will Explore ‘Final Frontier’ of Polar Regions

A huge research ship costing £200 million has been commissioned, which will probe the oceans and climate of the arctic and Antarctic.   They are the cruel seas where Britain’s greatest adventurers made their names. Now the territory of Scott and Shackleton, will be surveyed by a new generation of British explorers who will tackle the ‘final frontier’ of Earth’s […]

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Ozone Hole Over Antarctica

Ozone Hole Over Antarctica

The ozone layer is a protector of the earth from ultraviolet radiation from the sun.  According to reports the ozone layer is getting smaller over Antarctica.  The scientists are using satellites and sensors to get information on the measurements of the ozone layer. Since the early 20th century when the emissions of chemical substances called halo-carbons the ozone layer has […]

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Active Volcano Discovered Under Glacier in Antarctica

Active Volcano Discovered Under Glacier in Antarctica

The Pine Island Glacier has been melting due to a volcano heat source that researchers have found underneath the glacier in Antarctica.  The volcanic activity was first noticed in 2007 and then verified in 2014.  This volcanic activity was discovered by some scientists at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography.  From January to March of 2014 scientists […]

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