The West Antarctic Ice Sheet could reach its tipping point with only minimal additional ocean warming – with long-term consequences for global sea levels. But a small window of time remains to take countermeasures. “With every decade we wait, with every (currently two tenth of a) degree of additiona
Jacqui Stuart, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Natalie Robinson, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)As Antarctic sea ice forms later and thinner, a hidden ecosystem is shifting: microalgal diversity is declining, disrupting a key food source for marine
This week's Polar Retrospective takes a look at the setting course for Iceland and Scoresby Sound by the crew of Moscatel, new research warning of vanishing summer habitat for bowhead whales and Inuit-led cruises in Nunavut. The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s pol
A study highlights the role that penguin droppings play in cloud formation and their potential impact in reducing the effects of global warming.Anyone who has ever been near a penguin colony probably remembers the overwhelming smell that emanates from it. However, it would appear that penguin droppi
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is cutting funding for polar research in the USA. Could these disruptions to Antarctic research have an impact on Antarctic protection? In an interview, Evan Bloom, a former US diplomat specializing in polar affairs, explains the implications of the US
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at the annual meeting of the French National Committee for Arctic and Antarctic Research, Russia’s push to build a fleet of 130 Arctic vessels to expand trade with China along the Northern
A glacier in West Antarctica is flowing much faster than its neighbor and “stealing” its ice – an important discovery for a better understanding of Antarctica’s contribution to sea level rise.The Crosson and Dotson ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea are among the most rapidly changing ice shelves in We
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at Chile’s presidential commitment to the Antarctic, reports about US intelligence gathering in Greenland, and the emergence of new Arctic coastlines as glaciers retreat.As glaciers retrea
Satellite data reveals tiny sea level dips that mark underwater waterfalls – cold, dense water plunging off Antarctica’s continental shelf. These flows help regulate Earth’s climate but are weakening as the planet warms.NASA ICE via Flickr, CC BYBeneath the surface of the Southern Ocean, vast volume
The old and new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. His re-election was anything but certain. But voters trusted him more than his opponent Peter Dutton, a right-wing conservative often called “Temu Trump”. Image: Australian government CC-BY SA 4.0The re-election of Prime Minister Anthony Al
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at an agreement signed between Tara and polarjournal.net, enhanced marine protection around South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and a study explaining why the red knots are becom
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we look at an exhibition on the crest line between art and science by an Icelandic artist in Greenland, a new study tracing 800,000 years of climate-ocean interaction in the Southern Ocean and a Netflix
A new study shows how subglacial water could threaten the stability of the Antarctic ice cap. Which could add more than two metres than currently estimated to global sea levels by 2300. The icy continent might be under a new menace. Photo: Julia HagerBy Chen Zhao and Ben Galton-FenziOne of the bigge
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we look at the steering of France’s polar strategy, gliders collecting data from a megaberg and a research that shows evidence that biosecurity measures work.The Dumont-d’Urville station is a logistical
For the first time, researchers investigated an algal bloom on an Antarctic ice cap and discovered an astonishing diversity of microbial life. However, the coloration accelerates the melting. A drone image shows how pigment-rich algae communities give the ice cap of Robert Island in the Antarctic a
The Franco-Italian station is celebrating its twentieth year of operation, perched high above Antarctica. Project manager Patrice Godon tells us about the challenges involved in building the station, from the point of view of polar expertise. Concordia is an observation point of worldwide importance
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we look at a new classification for emperor penguins, a new tool being tested on board the Australian, and Vladimir Putin’s speech at the Russian Arctic Forum.The last Antarctic Treaty meeting failed to
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we look at a quaking volcano in Alaska, a serious health issue in Ittoqqortoormiit and an ecosystem uncovered by a calving iceberg.Last week, a series of earthquakes, some with a magnitude of 2.0, were o
An alleged assault on a South African Antarctic station is currently making headlines. Although the phenomenon is rare, it is not exceptional. Isolation, boredom and confinement in a hostile environment can put the nerves of scientific and station personnel to the test. An alleged assault on a South
Back from Macquarie Island, a marine biologist from Chile’s Milenio Base Institute fulfills a scientific and personal dream by collecting rare specimens of mollusks.Penguins eat certain mollusks living on the foreshore. Photo: Michael WengerThe moon passes and the sea recedes. Rocks covered in shell
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we look at the impact of bird flu south of the Antarctic Peninsula, the results of the major dog race in Alaska, and Antarctica under the ice cap.The avian flu epidemic is gaining ground in Antarctica. I
This year, China celebrates th 40th anniversary of its first Antarctic station, the Great Wall (Chángchéng). IN this tow-part series, Polar Historian and book author Jean de Pomereu presents an exclusive view on the Chinese Antarctic Program and its scientific and political value from the past to th
An unusual event in Antarctic tourism unfolded in January 2025, prompting discussions about the evolving nature of travel to this unique region. The expedition vessel of a well-known cruise line was fully chartered by a travel agency to host an “adult-themed” voyage, marketed as the “7th Continent A
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we look at the iceberg A23a keeping South Georgia company, a Norwegian cross-generational health study, and at the impact of US tariffs in the Canadian Arctic.The giant iceberg A23a, with a surface area
