As part of the 62nd Chilean Antarctic Expedition, a team from the Chilean Antarctic Institute visited several sites on the Antarctic Peninsula. The aim was to ensure that the automatic weather stations were in working order. Maintenance work under extreme conditions: operations between helicopter, b
As sea ice retreats, killer whales are moving into the High Arctic, disrupting fragile ecosystems. Killer whales off Alaska (Photo: Robert Pitman, NOAA)As Arctic sea ice continues to decline, a new top predator is transforming ecosystems in one of the planet’s most remote regions.Killer whales are a
Thawing permafrost in Alaska. (Photo: Brandt Meixell/USGS)Climate change is not only bringing rising temperatures and melting glaciers, it may also release a largely overlooked danger: ancient pathogens from permafrost. These frozen soils, found mainly in regions such as Siberia, Alaska, and Canada,
From stalled winds to failing equipment, Heïdi Sevestre describes what it really takes to cross Antarctica by kite-ski. Dr. Heïdi Sevestre begins her talk at UNIS, introducing the expeditionOn Monday evening, glaciologist Dr. Heïdi Sevestre spoke at The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) in Longye
Melting Antarctic ice may not fertilize the ocean as expected, as most iron instead comes from deep water and the seafloor. Most Antarctic iron comes from the deep ocean (Illustration: Léa Zinsli)New research from the Amundsen Sea is reshaping scientists’ understanding of how key nutrients reach one
Cetacean morbillivirus has been detected in Arctic whales for the first time, raising new questions about marine mammal health in northern waters. Humpback whales exhaling blow, which can be sampled to detect pathogens (Photo: Léa Zinsli)A virus known to cause severe disease in marine mammals has be
New measuring instruments have been installed at the Ukrainian Antarctic station Vernadsky Research Base to continuously monitor air quality under extreme conditions. (Photos: Serhiy Yakushchenko, Yuriy Usmansky)Ukrainian scientists have expanded their research on air quality in some of the most rem
As part of his doctoral research, Dr. Singh Sehra spent a total of 18 months in Antarctica and circumnavigated the continent together with Soviet researchers. He was also the first Indian to overwinter at Molodezhnaya Station. (Photo: Dr. Singh Sehra)At first glance, India and Antarctica seem like a
The Svalbard Treaty grants Norway sovereignty while ensuring equal access and peaceful use of the Arctic archipelago for all signatory nations. Signing of the Svalbard Treaty on 9 February 1920 by Fritz Wedel Jarlsberg, head of the Norwegian negotiating team(Photo: Photographer unknown/Governor of S
Epiatheracerium itjilik is a newly defined species from the early Miocene, dating back about 23 million years.The Canadian Museum of Nature has announced the identification of a previously unknown, extinct rhinoceros species from the High Arctic. The exceptionally well-preserved fossil skeleton was
Participants in an Antarctic expedition aboard the Polarstern have discovered an island in the Weddell Sea that has not yet been recorded on nautical charts. The island is about 130 meters long, 50 meters wide, and rises approximately 16 meters above the water. (Photo: AWI / Christian Haas)An intern
Cryopegs are pockets of salty liquid water in permafrost where microbes survive, revealing life’s resilience and hints of life beyond Earth. Adventdalen, Svalbard, a prime location for studying permafrostPermafrost is soil that remains frozen for at least two years, with a thin active layer on top t
The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), the largest penguin species, lives in Antarctica and depends on stable sea ice for raising its young and for molting. (Photo: Heiner Kubny)Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and has profound effects on nature and wildlife. Species
Arctic ice diatoms can move through ice down to −15 °C, revealing remarkable adaptations that help them survive and thrive in polar ecosystems. Microscopy images of ice diatoms and schmetaic illustration of gliding machinery (Zhang et al. 2025, PNAS)Ice diatoms are small unicellular algae that have
Key milestones have been achieved in the construction of the new “Polarstern.” A scale model of the future research icebreaker has successfully completed tests in the ice tank. (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / TKMS)Significant progress has been made in the construction of the German research icebr
This artist’s impression shows astronauts and human habitats on Mars. NASA’s Mars 2020 rover will carry a range of technologies that could make Mars safer and easier for humans to explore. (Photo: NASA)During the Cold War, polar and space exploration became part of global technological competition.
The autonomous underwater robot “MONACA,” developed by the University of Tokyo and the National Institute of Polar Research, operates without a cable connection and carries out its missions entirely independently, unlike conventional remotely operated underwater vehicles. (Photo: JARE67 Miho Ikeda)A
A slight dip in gravity beneath Antarctica is linked to slow movements of rock deep within the Earth over millions of years. Earth’s gravity variations today, highlighting Antarctica’s deepest geoid low (Glišović & Forte 2025, Scientific Reports)Gravity is not the same everywhere on Earth. In Antarc
The king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second-largest penguin species after the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) and belongs to the genus of great penguins. (Photo: Heiner Kubny)Climate change is altering seasons worldwide and disrupting the timing between plants and animals. This i
Sveagruva, a historic mining settlement, is now a research base giving UNIS scientists unprecedented access to study eastern Svalbard’s glaciers, geology, and ecosystems. Newly reopened building serving as a research base in Svea and its surroundings (Photo: Noemi Segura Sole)On March 4, Sveagruva,
Various measuring instruments are installed on the roof of the station, continuously recording meteorological and environmental data. (Photo: INACH)Antarctica, long regarded as an untouched natural region, is increasingly affected by global environmental changes. Recent research shows that smoke par
Atlantic herring lay their sticky eggs on the seafloor or on marine plants. A female can produce between 20,000 and 100,000 eggs, which adhere to stones, sand, algae, or seagrass. (Photo: Pixabay)A significant rise in temperatures in the Barents Sea is endangering the spawning grounds and food suppl
A recent study examines how climate change affects the potential spread of radioactive substances from the sunken Soviet nuclear submarine ‘Komsomolets’. After a devastating fire on board, the nuclear submarine “Komsomolets” sank on April 7, 1989, southwest of Bear Island. (Photo: Institute of Marin
To conserve energy and move faster, emperor penguins slide across the ice on their bellies. With powerful flipper strokes and pushes from their feet, they “surf” over the frozen surface. (Photo: Rosamaria Kubny)Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey made a significant discovery while analyzing
