The largest ice sheet in the world, the east Antarctic ice sheet, may succumb to climate change faster than thought, according to recent research. Warming ocean currents, triggered by shifting wind patterns, could accelerate melting of the ice sheet, leading to a rise in sea levels, say the researchers.

According to new research, several areas of the Antarctic are at considerable risk from the establishment of 'alien' plants accidentally carried by visitors to the region. The findings demonstrate that invasive species pose risks even in remote areas and that these risks are likely to increase as the climate changes.

A new aerial survey is the first to assess the possible impact of a research station in Antarctica on magnetic fields. Estimations indicated that the station generated a magnetic field that extends up to 650 metres from the station with a peak strength of 2800 nanotesla (nT) within 100 metres from the station on the ground. This may have implications for organisms in Antarctica that are negatively affected by magnetic fields but further research is needed to investigate this.

Better monitoring is needed to safeguard the Antarctic against threats posed by invasive alien species, according to a new study. The authors developed ‘the Antarctic Biological Invasions Indicator’ (ABII) to help generate data for tracking trends in alien invasions and the measures taken to prevent them.

Petrochemical lubricants have toxic effects on Antarctic seafloor ecosystems even after five years of degradation, a new study suggests. Examining the impacts of a standard lubricant and one marketed as biodegradable, the researchers were able to show that algae, which form the basis of the food chain, remained affected even after five years. Furthermore, the biodegradable lubricant appeared to provide no environmental benefits, as it had greater impacts in the long term.

Groups of chemicals used as flame retardants were present in the bodies of Antarctic rock cod (Trematomus bernacchii), young gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua), and brown skua seabird (Stercorarius antarcticus) collected from King George Island, Antarctica. This study is the first to find some of these chemicals in Antarctica, confirming that they undergo long-range transport and can reach isolated areas where they are not widely produced or used.

Bioremediation is a technique that harnesses the power of nature to treat contaminated soils and groundwater. This study explored a technology that is effective at capturing groundwater pollutants and shows promise in extreme environments — the Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB).

Pine Island Glacier holds back part of the massive West Antarctic Ice Sheet, whose thinning ice is contributing to sea level rise.

NASA's new map combined radar, sound waves and electromagnetic instruments to peer beneath Antarctica's ice.

If a small chunk of ice currently plugging the edge of an ice sheet in Antarctica were to melt, it could release massive amounts of ice into the ocean.

The catastrophic collapse of the massive West Antarctic Ice Sheet is underway.

As ice melts, Antarctica's ground is rebounding at a surprising rate. Scientists think it's because the Earth's mantle is flowing faster there.

Antarctica's melting glaciers launched so many icebergs into the ocean 14,600 years ago that sea level rose 6.5 feet in just 100 years.

Geologists say they have found a range of volcanoes beneath the ice of Antarctica that rival those of east Africa and North America.

Antarctica ice loss was only contributing 0.2 millimeters per year to sea level rise, but that number has jumped to 0.6 millimeters since 2012.

At a tiny outpost in the middle of Antarctica, Russian scientists are poised to become the first humans to reach a massive liquid lake that has been cut off fro

Though they're perceived as destructive, volcanoes may actually play an important part in promoting biodiversity, a new study suggests.

Researchers uncover the remnants of lost continents hidden under the ice sheets of Antarctica.

Microbes possibly feeding on the remains of an ancient forest may be generating billions of tons of methane deep beneath Antarctic ice, a new study suggests.

The ozone hole above the Antarctic has hit its maximum extent for the year. Due to warm temperatures, the opening in the protective atmospheric layer was the se

Thanks to the combined technology of satellites and weather stations scattered around the Antarctic Peninsula, researchers can now keep tabs on the region's shi

A weather balloon has broken the record for the longest balloon-borne experiment in Antarctica, and is still going strong.

But for now only the penguins can enjoy them. (Turns out, mining is illegal in Antarctica.)

A company in the United Arab Emirates is already putting an iceberg-towing plan into action.

'White Mars,' as Antarctica is known, is ideal for studying the long-term effects of isolation.

Satellite images confirm another massive iceberg has split from Antarctica, this time from the Pine Island Glacier.

Newly discovered remains of the Antarctic king, Antarctanax shackletoni, paint a lush picture of the Antarctica of 250 million years ago.

A huge, emerging crack has been discovered in one of Antarctica's glaciers, with a NASA plane mission providing the first-ever detailed airborne measurements of

NASA has been mapping deteriorating glaciers in the Antarctic through the Operation IceBridge program over the world’s polar regions.

The prominent rift that opened up last in year in Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier has widened and filled with snow, according to NASA.

Meet Yeti, a faithful rover of the robotic kind that sniffs out dangerous crevasses for convoys crossing glaciers.

A gorgeous new video is the best way to experience Antarctica without even feeling chilly.

Scientists have gained insight into the cause of the global sea level rise with the discovery that warm ocean water is primarily melting the ice shelves.

A massive iceberg, larger than the city of Chicago, broke off of Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier.

Scientists tracking 278-square-mile block of ice hope to learn from it as it moves away from its parent glacier.

Typically thought of as a tropical climate pattern, the influence of La Niña spreads as far as Antarctica.

The disintegration of a giant Antarctic ice shelf that had been stable for millennia was caused by a chain reaction of lakes draining on top of the ice.

Researchers who have analyzed satellite images of the icy region suggest that the glaciers' acceleration may be cause for concern.

Is Antarctic ice getting bigger or shrinking? Could the melting be caused by volcanoes? Get the answers to commonly asked questions.

Antarctica is a land of ice. But dive below the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and you'll find fire as well, in the form of subglacial volcanoes.

The casualty list from the government shutdown earlier this month continues to grow for U.S. Antarctic science.

Despite being ancient, a fruitcake found in the Antarctic from a 1911 expedition looks as fresh and unappetizing as the day it was made.

A big year for Antarctic sea ice is causing headaches for ship captains.

Enormous holes in sea ice called polynyas are explained with help of robot floats, satellites and tech-equipped seals.

The fast-melting Thwaites Glacier won't be able to hold back a massive flood of ice water.

Endangered blue whales return to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia.

Blood snow not only looks sinister, it contributes to a feedback loop that accelerates warming.

As sea ice melts at the poles, increasingly more sunlight hits the seafloor, allowing algae to thrive in ecosystems once dominated by invertebrates.

Researchers unveil the most detailed map of what's underneath the Antarctic ice sheet, and it will help them predict climate change vulnerability there.

Ground-breaking climate research of million-year old ice and studies into Antarctic krill, a keystone species of the Southern Ocean, will be key features of Antarctic science over the next decade.