Credit: Pixabay On May 20th, 2024, a 380 square kilometer (~147 mi²) iceberg separated from the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica. This event, known as A-83, marks the third major iceberg calving in this area in the last four years. In 2021, the first significant event occurred when A-74 separated from the ice sheet, followed by...
Credit: Pixabay In Antarctica, massive glaciers are constantly shifting, with ice streams acting like conveyor belts that transport most of the ice and sediment debris from these glaciers to the ocean. According to new research from Washington University in St. Louis, one such ice stream displaces the entire Ross Ice Shelf at least once daily. This...
Credit: Pixaobay New research suggests that, regardless of our efforts to reduce fossil fuel consumption, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will persist in accelerating its melting rate throughout the century. This impending surge in ice melt is expected to lead to a rapid rise in Antarctica's contribution to sea-level elevation over the next few decades. Utilizing...
A melanistic Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) standing next to normal-colored conspecifics. Credit: Pixaobay A group of biologists from various Argentine institutions has made an intriguing discovery in Antarctica. They encountered a case of melanism in a wild gentoo penguin and detailed their findings in a paper published in the journal Polar Biology. The paper...
A group aboard a modern icebreaker will check the site with state-of-the-art underwater drones in hopes of finding the historic vessel. Crew members of the Endurance enjoy a quick game of soccer while on a three-year Imperial Trans-Antarctica Expedition in 1915. The 144-foot ship sank in the Anarctic Ocean that same year. Credit: Frank Hurley/Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge/Getty...
This photograph from 2016 reveals a rift that widened even further and launched a large Delaware-sized iceberg from Antarctica's Larsen C ice sheet in the space of a few months. Credit rating: NASA/GSFC/OIB The scientists have found an ice process that may have caused a Delaware-sized iceberg to break off Antarctica's massive Larsen and sea...
Credit: Depositphotos Scientists have developed a 'living plastic' that self-destructs when it starts to erode. During composting, this innovative material breaks down in just a month, whereas conventional plastics can take up to 55 days to decompose under similar conditions. This promising technology is inspired by plastic-degrading proteins, naturally produced by a type of bacteria discovered...
Credit: Pixabay The world's climate is at a critical juncture, with uncertain outcomes. A new climate model indicates that exceeding the Paris Agreement's primary target for global warming could trigger a chain of tipping points, making recovery extremely difficult, if not impossible. On our current climate path, there's up to a 45 percent chance of surpassing...
Credit: Depositphotos Extreme organisms, or "extremophiles," are known for their ability to thrive in extreme environments such as hot hydrothermal vents, freezing Antarctic ice, and deep within Earth's crust. Recently, researchers have discovered these resilient microbes in an unexpected location: microwave ovens. While previous research has uncovered unique microbial communities in appliances like dishwashers and...
Credit: Pixabay Just over ten years ago, a robotic rover on Mars provided a long-awaited answer to a critical question: it confirmed the presence of organic material buried in the sediment of the planet's ancient lakebeds. Since then, we have continued to discover organic molecules on Mars, distributed in a manner indicating widespread carbon chemistry on...
