Antarctic ice sheet is more vulnerable to carbon dioxide than expected

Results from a new climate reconstruction of how Antarctica’s ice sheets responded during the last period when atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) reached levels like those expected to occur in about 30 years, plus sediment core findings reported in a companion paper, suggest that the ice sheets are more vulnerable to rising atmospheric CO2 than previously thought. Details appear in two […]

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Blood Falls: Flowing Network Discovered Below Antarctica’s Dry Valleys

Research shows there may be an entire world underneath Antarctica’s ice-free Dry Valleys, which on the surface may seem hostile to life. Below the surface lies rivers of liquid salt water which flow into subsurface lakes, every drop of which could be swarming with microbial life. One of Antarctica’s most unique features, the briny, rusty-red colored Blood Falls, could possibly […]

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King Crabs Are Invading Antarctica

King Crabs Are Invading Antarctica

The waters off the west coast of Antarctica has started to warm up over the past 50 years. The temperature has risen about 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit, warmer than the average water temperature worldwide.  It has reached the temperature of 34 degrees which is warm enough for king crab to survive.  Normally the king crab live on the continental slopes and […]

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Climate risk to inflexible penguins’ chicks

Crested and rockhopper penguins are threatened by climate change – but this time the penguins could be at risk because they cannot change their own ways. Evolution has left them with a rigid parenting strategy, probably well adapted for climate conditions so far. But as temperatures rise, conditions change and food supplies become precarious, the inflexible roles of male and female […]

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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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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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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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