Humanity’s impact on the polar ice sheets is slowing Earth’s rotation, posing a challenge for how it matches up with the official timekeeping. Humanity is rapidly waking up to the fact that time is running out to take action to mitigate the effects of climate change. Ironically, climate change itself, primarily caused by the release...
Antarctica, the Earth’s coldest and most inhospitable continent, has long been considered one of the last pristine wildernesses on our planet. A land of ice and snow, where temperatures can plummet to bone-chilling extremes, it has been considered an unlikely candidate for hosting life, let alone lush vegetation. However, recent scientific research has unveiled a surprising and...
Sea ice that packs the ocean around Antarctica hit record low levels this winter, the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said on Monday, adding to scientists’ fears that the impact of climate change at the southern pole is ramping up. Researchers warn the shift can have dire consequences for animals like penguins who breed...
A catastrophic die-off of emperor penguin chicks has been observed in the Antarctic, with up to 10,000 young birds estimated to have been killed. The sea-ice underneath the chicks melted and broke apart before they could develop the waterproof feathers needed to swim in the ocean. The birds most likely drowned or froze to death....