As nations pledge to preserve swaths of ocean within their territorial waters, a marine scientist explains why some marine protected areas shelter ocean life more effectively than others.
The front of Thwaites Glacier is a jagged, towering cliff.
David Vaughan/British Antarctic Survey
Thwaites Glacier’s ice shelf appears to be splintering, and scientists fear it could give way in the next few years. A polar scientist takes us on a tour under the ice to explain the forces at work.
The sun rises over Lake Crackenback on a cold morning in New South Wales.
Shutterstock
Scientists just grew plants in soil from the Moon, but Antarctica has long provided researchers with the perfect place to test their agricultural techniques for a future in space.
Co-author Chloe Gustafson and mountaineer Meghan Seifert install measuring equipment on an ice stream.
Kerry Key/Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
We compiled the first list of Antarctic species and where they were first found. This knowledge means we can now protect all of the icy continent’s species.
Layered ice sheets can be vulnerable to fracturing.
Eli Duke/Flickr
The SA Agulhas II is helping South Africa to become a leader in Antarctic science.
Scientists hunt for meteorites on the Nansen blue ice area in East Antartica, close to the Belgian Antarctic research station Princess Elisabeth.
BELARE 2019-2020 meteorite recovery expedition on the Nansen Ice Field
Scientists have crafted the world’s first “treasure map” to reveal Antarctica’s meteorites. These chunks of stone-like material could throw light on the mysteries of our early solar system.
A view of the bow of the Endurance.
Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust/National Geographic
It’s undoubtedly exciting news, but polar exploration has a poor record when it comes to diversity and we need to rethink the values and attitudes that underpin our fascination.
The resting place of Shackleton’s ill-fated ship is now an international heritage site, and a reminder of how Antarctica’s place in our collective consciousness has changed since the ‘heroic age’.
Navigator Frank Worsley, left, works with scientist Reginald James to take an observation by the stern of the Endurance.
Frank Hurley/Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge/Getty Images
That there’s legacy waste in Antarctica may come as a surprise to some, as we often think of Antarctica as a pristine wilderness. These photos show why cleaning up is long overdue
Strategic tensions with Russia and China are hardening globally and Antarctica won’t be immune from them. Can Antarctica stay peripheral, as it has in previous moments of geopolitical heat?
Huw Joseph Horgan, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington e Craig Stevens, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Researchers have surveyed an Antarctic under-ice river for the first time directly, and their observations support the idea that such sub-glacial rivers form estuaries as they flow into the ocean.
Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong