Antarctica

• Monday, January 25th 2021 - 08:15 UTC

  Two earthquakes and confusing alert messages, shake Chile

  

  Two earthquakes of 7 and 5.9 degrees of magnitude on the Ritcher scale shook Chile on Saturday, just thirty minutes apart, at Antarctica and in the center of Chile, with Chilean authorities calling to evacuate the coastal areas due to the risk of a tsunami, as a consequence of confusing alert messages.

• Saturday, January 23rd 2021 - 09:23 UTC

  Germany denies change of policy regarding the Falklands dispute

  

  Germany said that its position on the Falkland Islands dispute has not changed, following claims by Argentina that Lufthansa's request for two flights to the Islands, in support of a polar research expedition, implied recognition of the archipelago as Argentine territory.

• Friday, January 22nd 2021 - 09:43 UTC

  Argentina rejoiced with Germany's position on the Falklands/Malvinas dispute

  

  Argentina is rejoicing because Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa formally requested the Civil Aviation National Administration and the Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands provincial government over flight and landing authorization for two charter flights to the Malvinas Islands from Hamburg.

• Thursday, January 21st 2021 - 00:48 UTC

  Lufthansa to fly nontop to Falklands carrying German scientists

  

  German carrier Lufthansa Wednesday issued a press release confirming plans are underway for a nonstop charter flight between Hamburg and Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands for scientific purposes. The airline highlighted the trip will be one of its longest nonstop stretches ever.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2021 - 09:10 UTC

  Falklands Conservation advises on penguins’ 'catastrophic' moulting period

  

  Unlike all other birds, penguins go through what is called a “catastrophic” moult. For the penguin, it is probably as bad as it sounds. Falklands Conservation recalls that every penguin must moult once a year, normally between December to March, by drastically shedding all their feathers and re-growing new feathers in one go – hence the “catastrophic”.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2021 - 09:07 UTC

  Icebreaker HMS Protector is back to sea after £14m revamp

  

  The HMS Protector, the only Royal Navy's ice patrol ship, has returned to sea after a £14m revamp to improve her ability to work in Antarctica. Extra weight was added to the vessel during the work has improved her ice-breaking capability, the Navy said.

• Friday, January 15th 2021 - 09:15 UTC

  Falkland Islands penguins’ catastrophic moulting and how you can help them

  

  Falklands Conservation has illustrated that unlike all other birds, penguins go through what is called a “catastrophic” moult. For the penguin it is probably as bad as it sounds. Every penguin must moult once a year, normally between December to March, by drastically shedding all their feathers and re-growing new feathers in one go – hence the “catastrophic.”

• Thursday, December 31st 2020 - 08:00 UTC

  Australia's Antarctic Program MPV Everest scheduled to leave Hobart next 9 January

  

  MPV Everest arrived in Hobart, Tasmania, on Wednesday to commence work for the Australian Antarctic Program, resupplying Australian stations and changing over personnel this summer.

• Tuesday, December 22nd 2020 - 08:46 UTC

  Chilean army base in Antarctica detects 36 positive Covid-19 cases; Navy support vessel blamed

  

  A coronavirus outbreak with 36 positive tests was reported on Monday at a Chilean Army base in Antarctica, the only continent, up to now, free of the virus. The army's Monday release said that at the Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme base, following suspicions, swabbing testing was practiced in all personnel resulting in 36 positive cases, of which 26 belonging to the Army and ten to members of a contractor, doing maintenance work at the base.

• Saturday, December 19th 2020 - 09:50 UTC

  A68a iceberg heading for South Georgia shifts direction and loses a chunk of mass

  

  Strong currents have taken hold of a massive Antarctic iceberg that is on a collision course towards South Georgia Island, causing it to shift direction and lose a major chunk of mass, a scientist tracking its journey said on Friday.