Antarctica

Thursday, September 16th 2010 - 21:27 UTC
Efforts to protect ozone layer from depletion have been successful, says UN

International efforts to protect the ozone layer shielding life on Earth from harmful levels of ultraviolet rays have stopped additional ozone losses, potentially averting scores of millions of cases of skin cancer and eye cataracts, according to a new United Nations report released today.
Thursday, September 16th 2010 - 05:10 UTC
Chile’s first Antarctic base declared National Historical Monument

Chile’s National Monuments Council has unanimously declared Chile’s Arturo Prat research base naval in Antarctica a National Historical Monument. Their decision was based on the historic strategic value of the base and its functional construction for extreme weather conditions.
Tuesday, September 14th 2010 - 10:59 UTC
Number of tour ships visiting South Georgia to fall for the second year running

The number of tour ships planning to visit South Georgia in the coming summer looks set to fall for the second year in a row, according to a report in the August edition of the South Georgia Newsletter.
Monday, September 13th 2010 - 04:03 UTC
Argentina closer to becoming Brazil’s second trade partner

Argentine trade with Brazil in 2010 is going to increase significantly and could replace United States as the second most important importer of Brazilian goods, said Foreign Affairs minister Celso Amorim.
Wednesday, September 8th 2010 - 23:25 UTC
HMS Endurance to be replaced with vessel from Norway early 2011

Senior Royal Navy sources have confirmed a vessel from Norway will join the fleet early next year to replace Endurance, which almost sank in 2008, reports The News from Portsmouth.
Thursday, September 2nd 2010 - 06:31 UTC
Tiny marine animals reveal a possible ancient sea passage in Antarctica

Scientists have found evidence for an ancient sea passage linking currently isolated areas of Antarctica. The evidence comes from a study of tiny marine animals living either side of the 2km thick Western Antarctic ice sheet.
Tuesday, August 17th 2010 - 19:27 UTC
South Sandwich Islands are the emergent tips of huge volcanoes, according to BAS

Earlier this year, geologists on the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) ship “RRS James Clark Ross” completed a project to map the sea floor around the volcanic South Sandwich Islands using multi-beam sonar. This completes a project started three years ago, reports the latest edition of the South Georgia newsletter.
Monday, August 16th 2010 - 19:11 UTC
Scientists survey krill fishery and possible marine protected area in South Georgia

The two South Georgia Island King Edward Point (KEP) based scientists are undertaking regular winter survey work at sea to investigate the spatial overlap between the winter krill fishery and the distribution of foraging predators and fish larvae in South Georgia waters, reports the SG newsletter.
Saturday, August 14th 2010 - 03:02 UTC
Crate of Shackleton’s Antarctic-hut whiskey shows liquor did not freeze

A crate of Scotch whiskey that once belonged to famous polar explorer Ernest Shackleton was opened Friday, several months after having been rescued from a 100-plus old prison of Antarctic ice.
Wednesday, July 14th 2010 - 03:05 UTC
Stamp release on wrecks and hulls depicts South Georgia’s whaling history

A set of four stamps featuring some of the wrecks and hulks around South Georgia Island shores in the South Atlantic was released on June 25th. The release date was chosen to coincide with the midwinter full moon. The photographs used on the stamps were taken by Thies Matzen, who also wrote the text below, which was published in the June edition of the South Georgia Newsletter.