Antarctica
January 24, 2023 | Wire Service
Rare 17-Pound Meteorite Discovered in Antarctica
During a recent excursion to the icy plains of Antarctica, an international team of researchers discovered five new meteorites—including one of the largest ever found on the continent. The rare meteorite is about the size of a cantaloupe but weighs a hefty 17 pounds (7.7 kilograms). The specimen is one of only about 100 that […]
November 8, 2022 | Lorenz Duchamps
Travel to Antarctica Suspended Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has suspended all travel to Antarctica for at least two weeks following a COVID-19 outbreak at a U.S.-operated research station. In a Nov. 4 statement, the NSF said more than 70 people tested positive at McMurdo station, the largest American facility located on the southern tip of Antarctica’s Ross Island. “Following […]
May 30, 2022 | Wire Service
Artifacts From Shackleton’s Antarctica Expeditions Sold at Auction
A collection of treasures from Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctica voyage has been sold at auction in London this week. The timing couldn’t be better, as the wreck of his ship HMS Endurance was finally located in the Weddell Sea earlier this year, 107 years after it sank. The highest priced item (£176,400, or $220,000) was a […]
January 16, 2022 | Wire Service
An Icefish Colony Discovered in Antarctica Is World’s Largest Fish Breeding Ground
A breeding colony of 60 million fish has been discovered in Antarctica’s ice-covered Weddell Sea—a unique and previously unknown ecosystem that covers an area the size of Malta. The fascinating find shows how little is known about the ocean depths. The vast colony, believed to be the world’s largest, is home to the remarkable icefish […]
December 15, 2019 | Wire Service
Scientists Have Discovered Deepest Point on Land
A new study shows that the deepest point on land is under the Denman Glacier in East Antarctica. Glaciologists at the University of California, Irvine, were mapping the area and found that the trough under the glacier went far deeper than they had imagined. The trough is about 3.5 km (about 2 miles) below sea […]
December 9, 2019 | The Associated Press
Chile Military Plane With 38 Onboard Reported Missing On Way to Antarctica
SANTIAGO, Chile—Chile’s air force said it lost radio contact with a transport plane carrying 38 people on a flight Monday evening to the country’s base in Antarctica. It said the military had declared an alert and activated search and rescue teams. The C-130 Hercules carried 17 crew members and 21 passengers, including three civilians. The […]