Antarctica

• Thursday, July 25th 2013 - 02:51 UTC

  Coastal Antarctic permafrost melting faster than expected

  

  For the first time, scientists have documented an acceleration in the melt rate of permafrost, or ground ice, in a section of Antarctica where the ice had been considered stable. The melt rates are comparable with the Arctic, where accelerated melting of permafrost has become a regularly recurring phenomenon, and the change could offer a preview of melting permafrost in other parts of a warming Antarctic continent.

• Wednesday, July 24th 2013 - 13:13 UTC

  Aurora Expeditions adds new Antarctic gateway in 2014/15

  

  Aurora Expeditions are set to shake up the traditional Antarctic cruise itinerary with the launch of an exciting new ‘Antarctic Gateway’ in their 2014/15 Antarctic program. The Chilean port and nature haven of Puerto Williams will be used as an alternative to the usual Argentinian port of Ushuaia, with voyages either starting or ending on the eco-rich Navarino Island along the Chilean banks of the Beagle Channel.

• Wednesday, July 17th 2013 - 19:47 UTC

  HMS Argyll sailors recreate Shackleton’s trek across South Georgia Island

  

  Sailors from HMS Argyll followed in the footsteps of Britain’s greatest polar explorer when they recreated Sir Ernest Shackleton’s legendary trek across the snow and ice of South Georgia Island.

• Wednesday, July 17th 2013 - 19:35 UTC

  Russia blocks creation of two huge Marine Protected Areas in Antarctica

  

  An extraordinary meeting of the Commission of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to establish Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in the Ross Sea region and in East Antarctica wrapped up on Tuesday without an agreement after Russia with support from Ukraine blocked the initiative.

• Wednesday, July 17th 2013 - 07:07 UTC

  Argentine Orcadas base reports 7.3 magnitude earthquake close to Antarctica Peninsula

  

  A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Antarctica, generating large waves but causing no injuries, seismic experts at Argentina's Orcadas base in Antarctica reported on Monday.

• Thursday, July 11th 2013 - 07:08 UTC

  Eight times Manhattan island iceberg breaks off from Antarctic glacier

  

  Pine Island Glacier (PIG), the longest and fastest flowing glacier in the Antarctic, has spawned a huge iceberg. The block measures about 720 sq km in area - roughly eight times the size of Manhattan Island in New York.

• Monday, July 8th 2013 - 04:10 UTC

  South Georgia government issues coin depicting a Weddell Seal pup

  

  The South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands Government has released a Pobjoy Mint new coin that depicts a Weddell Seal pup. The species is native to Antarctica and lives further south than any other mammal.

• Friday, June 28th 2013 - 07:23 UTC

  Falklands Referendum: Voters from many countries around the world voted Yes

  

  By Professor Peter Willetts - In March, 1,513 people in the Falklands voted Yes to remaining a British Overseas Territory and only three people voted No. The Yes vote was a remarkable 99.8% of the voters on an exceptionally high turnout of 92.0%. The orthodox view that British voters chose to remain British is not enough to explain the result.

• Thursday, June 6th 2013 - 06:54 UTC

  IAATO focus on collaborative work at the 36th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting

  

  The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) reported to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM XXXVI) last week and as in previous years, in addition to presenting statistics and estimates of numbers for next season, IAATO reported on the Association’s recent work and activities. This year, there was a heavy focus on the collaborative work that IAATO has undertaken with Treaty Parties and other Observers and Experts in a variety of fields.

• Tuesday, June 4th 2013 - 07:49 UTC

  Aurora Expeditions Wins ‘Best Overall Use of Social Media’ at 2013 SMITTY Awards

  

  After becoming the first cruise operator to implement a brand new social media tracking service on their remote voyages to Antarctica and the Arctic earlier this year, Aurora Expeditions has now taken home an award at the 2013 TRAVEL + LEISURE SMITTY (Social Media in Travel and Tourism) Awards.