You've probably heard that climate change is melting the polar ice caps - but what does this actually mean? It refers to the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets, which are large systems of interconnected glaciers, kilometres thick. They are formed by snow falling on land,... click to read more

A well-known fictional captain once called space the final frontier, but here on Earth, there is one place in desperate need of further exploration. In some ways, we know more about the moon and Mars than we do about Antarctica. New studies are being conducted... click to read more

Oceanographers know how the deepest reaches of the ocean are filled: by very cold and dense waters formed in contact with the polar air and ice of Antarctica. These dense Antarctic waters plunge under their own weight and snake along the global seafloor at depths... click to read more

Antarctic species don't just include the charismatic marine animals, such as killer whales, penguins and seals. There is actually a whole range of purely land-based animals and plants that spend their whole life-cycle on the frozen continent. These include moss and lichen, microbes and many... click to read more