Latest Articles

Antarctic ice cores help pinpoint timing of human arrival in New Zealand
Science | Ice and Snow
Monday December 20, 2021
Scientific detective work has helped researchers determine when humans first arrived in New Zealand, one of the last places on Earth to be settled.

Scientists prepare for rare Antarctic solar eclipse
Science | Space and Atmospheric Physics
Tuesday November 23, 2021
Antarctica will experience a total solar eclipse next Saturday, a rare occurrence that will give scientists insight into the behavior of Earth's upper atmosphere.

The stone thieves
Science | The Biological World
Tuesday November 09, 2021
Adelie penguins often steal stones from each other's nests, but new research shows the wily birds target some nests more than others.

Making music at McMurdo provides a taste of home
Features | Life on the Ice
Monday October 18, 2021
Living and working in Antarctica can be challenging, but the staff at McMurdo Station use music to build friendships, express their creativity, and bring beauty to the harsh conditions of the continent.

Antarctic ice shivers from distant earthquakes
Science | Earth
Thursday October 07, 2021
Antarctica is the most remote continent on Earth, but new research shows it is still connected to what happens in the rest of the world. A new study finds large earthquakes can

Scoping out the seal mating scene
Science | The Biological World
Monday September 20, 2021
Biologists have been observing how male Weddell seals secure prime locations when courting females to learn more about the southernmost mammal's mysterious breeding behavior.

Meet the Penguin Misfits

Science | The Biological World
Tuesday September 07, 2021

Looks are important for Adelie penguins, but they may not be as critical for breeding as biologists previously thought. New research shows Adelie penguins with unusual coloring still manage to breed successfully, contrary to what biologists had predicted.

Coldest, Driest, Saltiest Antarctic Soils Might Be Inhospitable To Life

Science | The Biological World
Monday August 23, 2021

Some Antarctic soils might be the only environments on Earth microbes can't colonize, a finding that goes against scientists' expectations of our planet's habitability. Most scientists assume microbes can inhabit every environment on Earth, given enough time, but new research finds that some of the coldest, saltiest, and driest soils in the Transantarctic Mountains show no signs of viable microbial life.

Warm Ocean Water is Eroding Thwaites Ice Shelf From Below

Science | Ice and Snow
Monday August 09, 2021

Scientists got their first glimpse at the ocean conditions surrounding the Thwaites Ice Shelf in 2019, and recently published results are worrisome for the rapidly melting ice shelf and the glacier behind it.

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Meet the Penguin Misfits

Coldest, Driest, Saltiest Antarctic Soils Might Be Inhospitable To Life

Warm Ocean Water is Eroding Thwaites Ice Shelf From Below

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