In January, an iceberg as large as Chicago separated from an ice shelf in Antarctica. By chance, a scientific research ship was nearby. The scientists jumped at the rare chance to study an area of the ocean floor that had been covered by ice for thousands of years. What they found surprised them.
Posts tagged as “Antarctica”
Chinstrap penguins in Antarctica have adapted to harsh conditions by sleeping in a very unusual way. They sleep in short bursts - about four seconds at a time. By doing this thousands of times daily, they get about 11 hours of sleep a day.
The world's largest iceberg, an icy island three times the size of New York City, has broken loose. The iceberg, called A23a, broke free from an Antarctic ice shelf in 1987, and has been grounded for over 30 years. Now it's floating in the open ocean.
Scientists have reported that Antarctica's sea ice is at a record low level. That's worrying because the sea ice is an important part of the Earth's cooling system. It's not yet clear if the low sea ice level is temporary, or part of a changing climate pattern.
On January 22, a massive iceberg broke off from Antarctica's Brunt Ice Shelf. Scientists say the iceberg was expected to break off and the event isn't connected to climate change. But the size of the iceberg is hard to imagine.
Temperatures in Antarctica and in the Arctic are setting records as both polar regions have heat waves at the same time. The heat waves, triggered by global weather patterns, have taken scientists by surprise.
Over a hundred years after it sank near Antarctica, the ship of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton has been found. The ship, called 'Endurance', sank after it got trapped in the ice in the Weddell Sea in 1915. Now it has been found using underwater robots.
Antarctica is one of the hardest to reach places on Earth. But a recent report reveals that ships going to Antarctica have connections to ports around the world. That greatly raises the chance that plants or animals from outside could invade this protected area.
Scientists exploring the ocean floor in Antartica have found the largest group of fish nests ever discovered. The huge area of nests came as a surprise, and will help scientists develop a more complete idea of the ocean food web in the area.
In today's news roundup, Olaf Scholz becomes the chancellor of Germany, the United States and several other countries send a message to China by refusing to send government representatives to the winter Olympics, and Antarctica gets a rare total solar eclipse.
Last Friday, a huge iceberg broke off from an area in Antarctica known as the Brunt Ice Shelf. Scientists had been expecting the iceberg to break loose for a while. It's not yet clear whether the iceberg will remain in the area or float away.