What would possess an Antarctic expedition to take dairy cows to the icy continent? Back in 1933, Admiral Byrd did so for reasons of image-making, publicity and territorial ambition.
A huge iceberg is set to break free from Antarctica. While the iceberg isn’t hugely concerning, it could herald the breakup of the entire Larsen C ice shelf, which could trigger more sea-level rise.
Climate change is set to expand Antarctica’s ice-free area, potentially helping native species to flourish but also paving the way for invasive species to gain a foothold.
Melting ice from Antartica could feed vast plankton blooms, trapping carbon in the ocean. To understand this complex mechanism, researchers looked at volcanoes deep under glaciers.
After years of stalled negotiations, China has ended its opposition to the world’s largest marine park off Antarctica - part of a wider trend towards increased Chinese involvement in global governance.
Why spend three months completing a lap of Antarctica (and probably getting seasick along the way)? It’s the only way to get vital clues about the remote Southern Ocean and its influence on the planet.
The shock decision to close Australia’s year-round research station at Macquarie Island will make monitoring Antarctica and the Southern Ocean harder, and will force Tasmania to get creative.
Speaking with: Juan Francisco Salazar about colonising Antarctica and Mars
The Conversation, CC BY-NC-SA19,5 MB(download)
Dallas Rogers speaks with Prof Juan Francisco Salazar about studying the research community in Antarctica to learn about what colonising Mars and other planets might look like.
The first signs that humans were warming the climate appeared much earlier in the northern hemisphere - way back in the 1830s. But now the trend is emerging all over the globe.
Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong