Tag Archives: Antarctica

Seen from space, Antarctica looks so much simpler than the other continents—a great sheet of ice set in contrast to the dark waters of the encircling Southern Ocean. Get closer, though, and you’ll find not a simple cap of frozen water, but an extraordinarily complex interplay between the ocean, sea ice, and ice sheets and shelves. That relationship is in …

Antarctica has long been seen as a remote, unchanging environment. Not any more. The ice-covered continent and the surrounding Southern Ocean are undergoing abrupt and alarming changes. Sea ice is shrinking rapidly, the floating glaciers known as ice shelves are melting faster, the ice sheets carpeting the continent are approaching tipping points and vital ocean currents show signs of slowing …

Antarctica has long been seen as a remote, unchanging environment. Not any more. The ice-covered continent and the surrounding Southern Ocean are undergoing abrupt and alarming changes. Sea ice is shrinking rapidly, the floating glaciers known as ice shelves are melting faster, the ice sheets carpeting the continent are approaching tipping points and vital ocean currents show signs of slowing …

In a high-resolution satellite image taken by NASA’s Landsat 8 on May 3, 2016, a series of dark, swirling shapes appeared in the clouds above Heard Island, a remote volcanic island in the Southern Ocean. Located roughly 1,000 kilometers north of Antarctica, this uninhabited landmass became the center of attention after the release of the image revealed what looked like …

New research published in the Australasian Journal of Palaeontology has revealed a detailed portrait of an ancient polar ecosystem in what is now southern Australia and Antarctica during the Early Cretaceous period. Despite months of winter darkness, sub-zero temperatures, and icy winds, a variety of dinosaur species lived and adapted to these extreme conditions. Life on the Edge of the …

QUICK FACTS Where is it? Heard Island, Indian Ocean [-53.116414344, 73.51793263] What’s in the photo? An unusual stream of von Kármán vortices trailing off a hidden peak Which satellite took the photo? Landsat 8 When was it taken? May 3, 2016 This striking satellite photo shows 10 swirling “dark voids” that appeared above an uninhabited volcanic island in the Indian …

For over two decades, scientists have puzzled over bright, glowing patches of water in the Southern Ocean visible in satellite imagery. These unusual light reflections, concentrated in remote and icy waters near Antarctica, defied explanation — until now. According to research published in Global Biogeochemical Cycles, a combination of silica-rich diatoms and calcium carbonate–bearing coccolithophores are responsible for the dazzling …

Three people needing medical care were evacuated from an American research base in Antarctica, New Zealand’s air force says, during a perilous rescue operation carried out in freezing temperatures and 24-hour darkness. U.S. officials called the mission “nothing short of heroic.” One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical assistance were flown out of McMurdo Station in …

New Zealand Air Force Mounts Dangerous Rescue in Antarctica  The New York Times Three Americans evacuated from Antarctica after medical emergency at research station  Fox News New Zealand evacuates three from US Antarctic base in high risk winter rescue  CNN US research station staff evacuated from Antarctica in high-risk operation  The Guardian US researchers evacuated from Antarctica in risky winter night flight  USA Today Source …

332 Hidden Canyons Discovered Under Antarctica – And They Could Be Accelerating Climate Change  SciTechDaily Scientists map Antarctic seafloor canyons to help predict climate breakdown  The Guardian Scientists Map Antarctic Canyons to Better Predict Climate Impacts  ShiaWaves Scientists Create Most Detailed Map of Antarctic Underwater Canyons To Date  The Inertia Source link