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.
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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
October 15, 2026
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
October 14, 2026
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
October 12, 2026
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
October 11, 2026
The Antarctic ozone hole has remained unusually large through the 2026 austral spring season, drawing renewed attention from scientists and the wider public.
China’s Cosmonauts Sea Proposal Signals New Direction for Antarctic Marine Protection
October 08, 2026
China has proposed a new marine protected area in East Antarctica's Cosmonauts Sea, combining conservation measures with seasonal krill fishing and a fixed 20-year lifespan.
IceCube Pioneer Awarded Nobel Prize for Opening a New Window on the Universe
October 07, 2026
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to physicist Francis Halzen for his leadership in creating the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a remarkable scientific facility buried deep within the Antarctic ice.
When Deception Island Became a Laboratory
October 06, 2026
Deception Island is often remembered as a convenient harbour for sealers, but in 1829 it briefly became something far more unusual: one of Antarctica’s earliest scientific field laboratories. During the voyage of HMS Chanticleer, Royal Navy officer and scientist Henry Foster transformed the volcanic island into a site for experiments designed to measure the Earth itself.
Scientists Focus on East Antarctica's Hidden Sea-Level Threat: Wilkes Subglacial Basin
October 05, 2026
Hidden beneath the ice of East Antarctica lies one of the continent's greatest mysteries and potentially one of its most significant climate threats. The Wilkes Subglacial Basin, a vast depression buried beneath kilometres of ice, remains among the least explored regions in Antarctica despite holding enough ice to raise global sea levels by an estimated three to four metres if widespread retreat were to occur.
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.