Antarctica

Monday, October 15th 2018 - 08:24 UTC
Preparing Antarctica's Rothera to accommodate the RSS Sir David Attenborough

An international team of builders is preparing to ship an entire kit of parts from the UK to create a new wharf in the Antarctic. The work is part of the £100m upgrade of the Rothera research station to accommodate its new vessel, the RSS Sir David Attenborough. Almost 4,000 tons of equipment and materials will be shipped 11,000km next month.
Tuesday, September 25th 2018 - 08:24 UTC
Green mosses of East Antarctica are succumbing to climate change, says scientific paper

Emerging from the ice for a brief growing season every Antarctic summer, the lush green mosses of East Antarctica are finally succumbing to climate change. That is according to a study of the small, ancient and hardy plants - carried out over more than a decade.
Saturday, September 8th 2018 - 09:05 UTC
Award for new map of South Georgia and the “Shackleton Crossing”

British Antarctic Survey’s detailed map of the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia featuring the epic “Shackleton Crossing” has won an award at the 2018 British Cartography Society Awards.
Saturday, September 8th 2018 - 09:01 UTC
Giant iceberg “A68” takes off from Antarctica mainland to the Southern Ocean

A large iceberg in Antarctica has calved off the Larsen C ice shelf as of July last year and budged only a little from the coast until recently. In the past two months, the iceberg, known as 'A68', has taken a drastic 90 degree swing away from the Antarctic mainland and into the Southern Ocean.
Saturday, July 14th 2018 - 07:42 UTC
No casualties reported as Chilean Antarctica base goes down in flames

The Antarctic Maritime Government building in King George Island went down in flames at dawn Thursday. Nobody was injured and maritime traffic support went on with help from the INACh and the Air Force.
Wednesday, July 11th 2018 - 06:55 UTC
Britain's new polar research ship scheduled to hit the water next Saturday

The assembled hull of Britain's new polar research vessel, RRS Sir David Attenborough is now standing on the slipway of the Cammell Laird yard in Birkenhead, awaiting launch day. Weather and tide permitting, she should slide into the River Mersey on Saturday, July 14th.
Thursday, June 14th 2018 - 07:24 UTC
Antarctica ice sheet melting faster than expected, adding 0.6mm to sea level every year

The Antarctic ice sheet has lost more than 2,500 billion tons of ice in the past 25 years and nearly half of that has happened since 2012. An international team of polar scientists found that melting in Antarctica has jumped sharply from an average of 76 billion tons per year prior to 2012, to around 219 billion tones each year between 2012 and 2017.
Wednesday, June 6th 2018 - 08:41 UTC
Argentina's national team cancels audience with Pope Francis

Argentina's national team have cancelled an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican that was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, the Holy See has announced. The Albiceleste are preparing for the World Cup and have been training in Barcelona since May 31.
Thursday, May 31st 2018 - 08:20 UTC
Japanese whale hunt slaughters 122 pregnant minke whales

More than 120 pregnant whales were slaughtered in the latest Japanese whale hunt in Antarctica's Southern Ocean, new documents show, reigniting calls to step up efforts to stop the annual killing spree. A further 114 immature whales were killed as part of the so-called “scientific” whaling program, according to meeting papers from the International Whaling Commission's scientific committee meeting this month.
Thursday, May 17th 2018 - 08:31 UTC
Someone is cheating with ozone warn scientists: rate of decline has fallen drastically

The decline in the atmosphere of an ozone-depleting chemical banned by the Montreal Protocol has recently slowed by half, suggesting a serious violation of the 196-nation treaty, researchers revealed Wednesday.