New Atlas

Environment Audio available

Quarter of West Antarctic glacier ice unstable, says 25-year satellite study

Michael Irving May 16, 2019

A new study has examined 25 years of satellite data to get a sense of the extent of ice loss across Antarctica. According to the findings, warming waters have destabilized as much as a quarter of the glacier ice in West Antarctica.

Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is one of the places hardest hit by ice loss

Environment Audio available

Antarctica Ice shelf the size of France threatened by effects of climate change

Anthony Wood April 29, 2019

A vital section of the world's largest ice shelf is losing ice 10 times faster than the overall melt rate for the structure, posing a potential risk to its future stability. The Ross Ice Shelf stretches out over 500,809 square km, and accounts for 32 percent of Antarctica's total ice shelf area.

The wall of the Ross Ice Shelf stretches for a staggering 600 km (373 miles) in ...

Space Audio available

Antarctic meteorite tells the tale of an asteroid that ate a comet

Michael Irving April 15, 2019

Scientists have discovered a tiny fragment of a comet in a meteorite. The bulk of the rock itself was once an asteroid, but when the team cracked it open and analyzed the inside, they found that the growing asteroid must have swept up the seed of a comet billions of years ago.

Scientists have discovered the seeds of a comet inside a meteorite from an asteroid

Environment Audio available

Giant iceberg enters "final phase" of breaking away from Antarctica

Michael Irving April 7, 2019

A huge iceberg, roughly twice the size of New York City, is set to soon break off from the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica. With two large cracks due to meet within the next few months, a research station has already been relocated as scientists watch the rifting event enter its “final phase.”

The Halloween Crack, discovered in October 2016, is threatening the Brunt Ice Shelf

Environment Audio available

Giant cavity found eating away at Antarctic glacier from underneath

Michael Irving January 30, 2019

NASA’s ongoing Operation IceBridge has found a gigantic cavity underneath Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica, which shows that the area has suffered even more drastic ice loss in recent years than previously thought – and it’s accelerating.

Collectibles

Historic sledge from first Shackleton polar expedition is up for sale

David Szondy January 21, 2019

One of the surviving sledges from Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1907 failed attempt to reach the South Pole is going up for auction at the Bonhams Bonhams Travel and Exploration Sale in London..

The sledge up for auction was one of four used in an attempt to reach the ...

Space

Drill originally destined for Mars heads to Antarctica to dig into climate secrets

David Szondy January 3, 2019

A high-tech drill originally slated for use on Mars is heading for Antarctica. The drill is on its way to a British Antarctic Survey research station, where it will be used to drill deep under the ice cap to help gain a better understanding of Earth's climate history.

Scientists hope that a high-tech drill destined for the Antarctic can unearth some of the Earth's ...

Automotive Audio available

Venturi Antarctica all-electric exploration rover set to bite into polar ice

C.C. Weiss December 12, 2018

Venturi Automobiles has made a name for itself blazing electric-vehicle trails over hot salt and hot race track, but it's about to crank down the temperature. It has revealed its all-electric Antarctica polar exploration vehicle and is preparing to bring it down to the world's loneliest continent.

The Venturi Antarctica will be used for short scientific missions

Environment

New NASA photos offer closer look at bizarre rectangular Antarctic icebergs

Rich Haridy October 24, 2018

A few days ago NASA’s IceBridge project hit the news, but not for any scientific observations. Instead, a photo of a strange rectangular iceberg captured people’s imagination. Now, NASA has offered up a few more shots of this unusual sight, helping explain this common yet rarely seen phenomenon.

Just past the rectangular iceberg, which is visible from behind the outboard engine, IceBridge saw another ...

Environment

Rectangular icebergs and the snowy spectacle of NASA’s latest Antarctic aerial mission

Rich Haridy October 23, 2018

NASA's Operation IceBridge is currently gathering measurements of Antarctic land and sea ice. The data it gathers will be compared to measurements from the newly orbiting ICESat-2, while the images captured provide a breathtaking look in and around the frozen continent.

This bizarrely, but not unusual, rectangular iceberg is called a tabular iceberg and was discovered by ...