Three Icebreakers Against an Iceberg: Clearing McMurdo Sound in 1965
October 27, 2026
Three U.S. Navy icebreakers gather around a massive iceberg in McMurdo Sound. Behind them, Mount Lister and the Royal Society Range rise above the Antarctic coast.
Thwaites Glacier May Continue Losing Ice Even Without Ocean Melting
October 20, 2026
One of Antarctica’s most important glaciers could continue contributing to sea-level rise even if ocean-driven melting beneath its floating ice shelf were dramatically reduced, according to new research published in Geophysical Research Letters. Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica currently accounts for about 4% of global sea-level rise – a rate that has trebled since the mid-1990s.
The Race Begins: Amundsen Sets Out for the South Pole
October 18, 2026
On 19 October 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and four companions departed their base at the Bay of Whales on Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf, beginning one of the most celebrated journeys in polar history. Their goal was clear and audacious: to become the first humans to reach the geographic South Pole, 90° South.
The C-17: Antarctica’s Heavy-Lift Workhorse
Each austral spring, a distinctive grey aircraft reappears over Antarctica. The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III connects Christchurch, New Zealand, with McMurdo Station, carrying scientists, support staff and tonnes of equipment to the world’s most remote continent.
Antarctica's First Grave: Nicolai Hanson and the Human Cost of the Southern Cross Expedition
When the Southern Cross expedition sailed south in 1898, its ambitions extended beyond exploration. The expedition also set out to collect scientific evidence from a continent whose natural history remained largely unknown.
Cape Crozier: The Emperor Penguin Colony That Drew Explorers Into the Antarctic Winter
On the eastern edge of Ross Island, beneath the cliffs of Cape Crozier, lies one of Antarctica's most famous wildlife colonies. Today it is known as one of the world's largest emperor penguin breeding sites.
Strong Polar Vortex Fuels Large Antarctic Ozone Hole
The Antarctic ozone hole has remained unusually large through the 2026 austral spring season, drawing renewed attention from scientists and the wider public.
Antarctic Winter Sea Ice Remains Near Historic Lows
October 01, 2026
Antarctica's winter sea ice has reached its third-lowest maximum extent since satellite monitoring began in 1979, adding to growing concerns that the continent is entering a new phase of sustained sea ice decline.
China Eyes Sixth Antarctic Research Station in Remote Marie Byrd Land
September 28, 2026
China has announced plans to establish a sixth research station in Antarctica, expanding its scientific footprint into one of the continent's least-studied regions: Marie Byrd Land in West Antarctica. According to reports, construction could begin next year, with the station intended to support research into climate change, ice sheets, and marine ecosystems.
Ocean Drone Fleet Begins Ambitious Mission to Track Antarctica’s Carbon Sink
September 26, 2026
A new fleet of autonomous ocean drones has begun a five-year effort to monitor the Southern Ocean, targeting one of the biggest unanswered questions in climate science: exactly how much carbon dioxide is being absorbed by the waters surrounding Antarctica.
The Small Planes That Circumnavigated Antarctica’s Grounding Line
September 25, 2026
Two ski-equipped Twin Otter aircraft spent the 2024/25 austral summer attempting something rarely achieved in Antarctic science: circling an entire continent while collecting critical data from one of the most important, and least visible, boundaries on Earth.
Cambridge Microscope Reveals Hidden Life Inside Antarctic Fish Cells
September 24, 2026
Scientists have achieved a major breakthrough in polar biology by capturing the first high-resolution images of living Antarctic fish cells at temperatures close to freezing, opening a new window into how life survives in one of Earth's most extreme environments.
Antarctic Tourism’s Ethical Tension Draws Fresh Scrutiny
September 22, 2026
A new academic study examining former Antarctic tour guides has reopened a long-running debate over the role of tourism in one of the planet’s most environmentally significant regions, prompting a detailed response from the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO).