Where is Marie Byrd Land and who was she?
Where is Marie Byrd Land? On February 21, 1929, The New York Times quoted Richard Byrd naming newly discovered lands in Antarctica “Marie Byrd Land.” Marie Byrd Land is a …
Ernest Shackleton: His life and death
The Irony of Ernest Shackleton’s Life and Death Why is Ernest Shackleton’s birthday significant? British explorer Ernest Shackleton came into the world on February 15, 1874, in County …
COVID-19 now in Antarctica
My post from September 16, 2020, stated “Antarctica remains free of COVID-19.” Unfortunately, that no longer applies. It’s true only for US bases. COVID-19 is now in Antarctica. COVID-19 cases …
Shackleton: A new biography
A new Shackleton biography is out this year, by explorer Ranulph Fiennes. (Shackleton, the biography, 2022, Pegasus). It joins a crowded field of books about Shackleton’s exploits and …
Map of Zealandia: A New interactive map
New Zealand scientists have created a new interactive map of Zealandia the sunken “lost” eighth continent that split away from Antarctica more than 85 million years ago. A CNN article …
Antarctica discovered contributing to sea-level rise—still!
Sea-level rise (SLR) is a stealthy impact of global warming, showing up unwelcome as storms have hit the coastlines of the globe. There’s more to come. Antarctica influences global sea …
Penguin Populations Increasing in Antarctica
Adelie penguins crossing in front of the research icebreaker N.B. Palmer. Photo © John Diebold. To prove that Antarctica still keeps many secrets and is full of surprises, satellite …
On the Billboard, Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica
From a distance, we saw the tall face of the buff-colored granite tower known as The Billboard illuminated by a low Antarctic sun. It cast a deep blue shadow on …
Melting Antarctic Ice Targets California Due to Global Sea Level
Mount Minot, Northern Victoria Land. Photo © B. Luyendyk Global sea level has been creeping upward for decades Global sea level is now at a rate of about 3 mm/ year (1). …
Why we care about Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier
Stef Lhermitte image published in Washington Post 9-25-17 Where are the pines on the Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica? Of course, there aren’t any. The name comes from the …