The iSTAR tractor train on the Pine Island Glacier, there to conduct research for the British Antarctic Survey

Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica - the canary in the mine for climate change? [Video]

The Pine Island Glacier, one of the major glaciers draining the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, is rapidly thinning and, at 3mm per decade, is currently the single biggest contributor to sea level rise. The head of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Professor Jane Francis, discusses the iSTAR programme undertaken by BAS which seeks to gain a better understanding of the complexities of this relatively fast moving and thinning glacier, as well as the overall stability of the entire Ice Sheet.

Shackleton's ship, The Endurance, in the Antarctic.

100 Years since Shackleton’s Epic Journey

This year marks the centenary of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s epic expedition to traverse Antarctica in 1915. He had previously failed to reach the South Pole with Robert Scott on the Discovery expedition in 1902-03, and subsequently on the Nimrod expedition in 1907-09 without Scott. This journey would also fail to achieve its goal but would prove to be one of the Antarctic’s greatest stories of survival.

Monitoring Life in the Dry Valleys

Monitoring Life in the Dry Valleys

Researchers from the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) flew drones with special cameras over the Taylor Dry Valley in Antarctica to study microbial life.

Signatories to the Antarctic Treaty.

What is the Antarctic Treaty?

The Antarctic Treaty applies to the entire region south of 60° South Latitude. It effectively stops nations from making territorial claims or from exploiting Antarctic resources.

Interim Ban on Tourists using Drones in Coastal Areas of Antarctica

Interim Ban on Tourists using Drones in Coastal Areas of Antarctica

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones are valuable scientific instruments in Antarctica but are not toys for tourists. That’s the ruling from the latest meeting of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). For the upcoming 2015-2016 season, the IAATO members have agreed not to allow the recreational use of drones in the coastal areas of Antarctica.

New Ships to Increase Tourist Numbers

New Ships to Increase Tourist Numbers

The number of tourists to Antarctica for the 2015/2016 season is expected to be the second largest in history with 40,029 visitors. The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) reports only the 2007/2008 season had higher numbers with 46,265 people.