New Zealand's PM has visited a base in Antarctica and allocated $200 million for rebuilding it. PM also called for regional cooperation against climate change.

WION Climate Tracker: New Zealand's PM visits base in Antarctica

Four women will run the world's most remote post office in Antarctica. They will also be responsible for counting the penguin population throughout their five-month stay. Priyanka Sharma tells you all about this bizarre job.

WION Fineprint | Four women chosen to run the world's most remote post office

An investigation into Australia's research camps in Antarctica revealed a culture of sexual harassment and toxic masculinity. Women complained of unwanted advances and sexual taunts by their fellow researchers. Priyanka Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Sexual harassment reported in Antarctica research bases

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b4e4b970-6433-4099-ad0e-0c5cfb98381a}{183}" paraid="751006206" >The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, also referred to as the “doomsday glacier” due to the threat that it poses to the global sea level in case of a collapse, is retreating at an alarming pace. According to CNN, scientists are worried about the rate of underwater erosion in the glacier due to global warming and in case of a complete collapse in the near future, it is capable of raising the sea level to catastrophic levels.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{5eea2ce4-421b-4af9-98bc-4de219c0fc02}{42}" paraid="469572714" >In the study published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the researchers compared historic data regarding the retreat of the Thwaites Glacier and concluded that in the past two centuries, the rate has gone up considerably and in the past decade, it has almost doubled resulting in “swift disintegration”.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{5eea2ce4-421b-4af9-98bc-4de219c0fc02}{42}" paraid="469572714" >Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/people-congratulate-wrong-liz-truss-on-twitter-even-swedish-pm-makes-mistake-513422" hreflang="en">People congratulate 'wrong' Liz Truss on Twitter, even Swedish PM makes mistake</a></p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7fc785cc-9d74-4e3f-a221-a2aecbff9df3}{197}" paraid="904174603" >"Thwaites is really holding on today by its fingernails, and we should expect to see big changes over small timescales in the future -- even from one year to the next -- once the glacier retreats beyond a shallow ridge in its bed," Robert Larter, one of the study's co-authors, said in the release.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7fc785cc-9d74-4e3f-a221-a2aecbff9df3}{189}" paraid="709192072" >While the levels are still not that dangerous right now, the researchers believe that the rate can keep getting worse and, in that case,&nbsp;the&nbsp;sea level can go up by at least 16 feet in a very short period of time.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7fc785cc-9d74-4e3f-a221-a2aecbff9df3}{189}" paraid="709192072" >Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-central-vista-redevelopment-then-vs-now-513488" hreflang="en">In pics: Central vista redevelopment: Then vs now</a></p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{cf212504-27ed-44d8-8aa6-305af9cf75b4}{232}" paraid="1515574414" >"From the satellite data, we're seeing these big fractures spreading across the ice shelf surface, essentially weakening the fabric of the ice; kind of a bit like a windscreen crack," Peter Davis, an oceanographer with the British Antarctic Survey, told CNN in 2021. "It's slowly spreading across the ice shelf and eventually it's going to fracture into lots of different pieces."&nbsp;</p>

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The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, also referred to as the “doomsday glacier” due to the threat that it poses to the global sea level in case of a collapse, is retreating at an alarming pace.

The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, also referred to as the “doomsday glacier” due to the threat that it poses to the global sea level in case of a collapse, is retreating at an alarming pace. According to CNN, scientists are worried about the rate of underwater erosion in the glacier due to global warming and in case of a complete collapse in the near future, it is capable of raising the sea level to catastrophic levels. In the study published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the researchers compared historic data regarding the retreat of the Thwaites Glacier and concluded that in the past two centuries, the rate has gone up considerably and in the past decade, it has almost doubled resulting in “swift disintegration”. Also read | People congratulate 'wrong' Liz Truss on Twitter, even Swedish PM makes mistake "Thwaites is really holding on today by its fingernails, and we should expect to see big changes over small timescales in the future -- even from one year to the next -- once the glacier retreats beyond a shallow ridge in its bed," Robert Larter, one of the study's co-authors, said in the release. While the levels are still not that dangerous right now, the researchers believe that the rate can keep getting worse and, in that case, the sea level can go up by at least 16 feet in a very short period of time. Also read | In pics: Central vista redevelopment: Then vs now "From the satellite data, we're seeing these big fractures spreading across the ice shelf surface, essentially weakening the fabric of the ice; kind of a bit like a windscreen crack," Peter Davis, an oceanographer with the British Antarctic Survey, told CNN in 2021. "It's slowly spreading across the ice shelf and eventually it's going to fracture into lots of different pieces."

'Doomsday glacier' in Antarctica leaves scientists concerned with alarming rate of erosion

<p>The phenomena of climate change was&nbsp;pushed by industrial revolution. Different countries who gradually moved to the path of industrialisation contributed to the climate change. As per the team of scientist led by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, the global average temperature of the Earth has been increased. It has leveled by 1.1 celsius after 1880.</p>

<p>This climate change and its sub weather changes has led even the frigid zones of the world to melt. Antarctica and Artic at the two ends are melting making it inhabitable for the animals native to the land.</p>

<p>India has three research centers in the Antarctic namely, Dakshin Gangotri, Maitri, and Bharati. Maitri and Bharati centres are assisting India to enrich its knowledge on Antarctica. In this backdrop, India which is gradually become leader in the geopolitics has the responsibility to introduce Indian Antarctic Bill. The step is taken in line with Madrid Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty and the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.</p>

<p>Recently, the Antarctic bill was passed in the Lok Sabha. The bill outlines, India’s initiative and ideas to curb the effects of climate change. The most important step by the government is to de- militarise the area including mining and other illegal activities in the region. This also includes making the region free from nuclear activities. Any such illegal activity will be punishable with imprisonment of Rs.20 lakh or a fine of Rs.50 crore.</p>

<p>Any dispute, crime or illegal activities will be solved under this bill. The judiciary will enforce the laws. The central government can also notify on session courts for this purpose under the bill. Such session court will have a specified territory.</p>

<p>Infact, under Ministry of Earth Sciences, a special body Indian Antarctica Authority will be formed. This body is the apex decision making body for Antarctica. It will even monitor, regulate and facilitate any program in the sensitive environment of the region. The bill prohibits any private tour of the region. In case a permit or written authorisation will be needed. A permit can only be granted after a proper waste management plan and an environment impact assessment.</p>

<p>&nbsp;The Indian Antarctica Bill ensures stable, transparent and an accountable process for the expeditions and research work. The body will be chaired by the secretary of Ministry of Earth Sciences. Talking about the members of the committee, 10 members will be selected from the concerned ministries, two experts on the subject matter and a chairman.</p>

<p>An Antarctic Fund will also be created for welfare, research and protection of Antarctica environment.</p>

<p><strong>(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)</strong></p>

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The phenomena of climate change was pushed by industrial revolution. Different countries who gradually moved to the path of industrialisation contributed to the climate change.

The phenomena of climate change was pushed by industrial revolution. Different countries who gradually moved to the path of industrialisation contributed to the climate change. As per the team of scientist led by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, the global average temperature of the Earth has been increased. It has leveled by 1.1 celsius after 1880. This climate change and its sub weather changes has led even the frigid zones of the world to melt. Antarctica and Artic at the two ends are melting making it inhabitable for the animals native to the land. India has three research centers in the Antarctic namely, Dakshin Gangotri, Maitri, and Bharati. Maitri and Bharati centres are assisting India to enrich its knowledge on Antarctica. In this backdrop, India which is gradually become leader in the geopolitics has the responsibility to introduce Indian Antarctic Bill. The step is taken in line with Madrid Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty and the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. Recently, the Antarctic bill was passed in the Lok Sabha. The bill outlines, India’s initiative and ideas to curb the effects of climate change. The most important step by the government is to de- militarise the area including mining and other illegal activities in the region. This also includes making the region free from nuclear activities. Any such illegal activity will be punishable with imprisonment of Rs.20 lakh or a fine of Rs.50 crore. Any dispute, crime or illegal activities will be solved under this bill. The judiciary will enforce the laws. The central government can also notify on session courts for this purpose under the bill. Such session court will have a specified territory. Infact, under Ministry of Earth Sciences, a special body Indian Antarctica Authority will be formed. This body is the apex decision making body for Antarctica. It will even monitor, regulate and facilitate any program in the sensitive environment of the region. The bill prohibits any private tour of the region. In case a permit or written authorisation will be needed. A permit can only be granted after a proper waste management plan and an environment impact assessment. The Indian Antarctica Bill ensures stable, transparent and an accountable process for the expeditions and research work. The body will be chaired by the secretary of Ministry of Earth Sciences. Talking about the members of the committee, 10 members will be selected from the concerned ministries, two experts on the subject matter and a chairman. An Antarctic Fund will also be created for welfare, research and protection of Antarctica environment. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

What's hidden inside the newly introduced Indian Antarctic Bill?

<p>Capt. Preet Chandi sought to demonstrate that "no matter where we are from, no matter what we look like, we can achieve anything we desire" by becoming the first woman of colour to successfully complete a solo, unassisted expedition to the South Pole. Currently, "Polar Preet" is aiming for a bigger challenge: she wants to become the first woman to travel alone and unassisted across the entire continent of Antarctica.</p>

<p>The 33-year-old is currently preparing for "phase two" of her trailblazing tour, which would require travelling more than 1,000 miles in temperatures as low as minus 50C. Just a few months prior, she had trekked 700 miles in 40 days. Preet will go coast to coast in an estimated 75 days, battling winds of high to 60 mph while towing a sledge behind her equipment.</p>

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<p>Announcing the expedition in an Instagram post, she said, “Why did I go to Antarctica in the first place and why am I going back? I wanted to show that no matter where we are from, no matter what we look like, we can achieve anything we want. I want to inspire others to push their boundaries and encourage them to believe in themselves. I want to break that glass ceiling!”</p>

<p>Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mexico-arrests-drug-lord-on-fbi-ten-most-wanted-fugitive-list-497827">&nbsp;Mexico arrests drug lord on 'FBI ten most wanted fugitive' list</a></p>

<p>At the end of the year, the army physiotherapist will take some time off to try to write her name into the record books yet again. She works on her cardiovascular and muscular strength as well as dragging tyres to simulate the weight of her sledge.</p>

<p><em>(with inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Capt. Preet Chandi sought to demonstrate that "no matter where we are from, no matter what we look like, we can achieve anything we desire" by becoming the first woman of colour to successfully complete a solo, unassisted expedition to the South Pole.

Capt. Preet Chandi sought to demonstrate that "no matter where we are from, no matter what we look like, we can achieve anything we desire" by becoming the first woman of colour to successfully complete a solo, unassisted expedition to the South Pole. Currently, "Polar Preet" is aiming for a bigger challenge: she wants to become the first woman to travel alone and unassisted across the entire continent of Antarctica. The 33-year-old is currently preparing for "phase two" of her trailblazing tour, which would require travelling more than 1,000 miles in temperatures as low as minus 50C. Just a few months prior, she had trekked 700 miles in 40 days. Preet will go coast to coast in an estimated 75 days, battling winds of high to 60 mph while towing a sledge behind her equipment. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Preet Chandi (@polarpreet) × Announcing the expedition in an Instagram post, she said, “Why did I go to Antarctica in the first place and why am I going back? I wanted to show that no matter where we are from, no matter what we look like, we can achieve anything we want. I want to inspire others to push their boundaries and encourage them to believe in themselves. I want to break that glass ceiling!” Also Read: Mexico arrests drug lord on 'FBI ten most wanted fugitive' list At the end of the year, the army physiotherapist will take some time off to try to write her name into the record books yet again. She works on her cardiovascular and muscular strength as well as dragging tyres to simulate the weight of her sledge. (with inputs from agencies)

Who is 'Polar Preet'? She can be first woman to trek solo, unaided across Antarctica

<p>Earth's southernmost continent of Antarctica is having a dazzling mid-winter. The usually dark skies have been brushed with scintillating bright hues of purple, pink and orange. Together, creating a mirage, which looks straight out of a utopian dream.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Thanks to the Tongan volcano that erupted nearly seven months back in January, the entire skyline of Antarctica has been graced with a dreamy vision. Despite being over 7,000 kilometres away from Tonga, the great white continent has been affected, albeit aesthetically.</p>

<p>The stunning images were captured by&nbsp;Stuart Shaw,&nbsp;a New Zealand science technician&nbsp;who is currently stationed at Scott Base for the winter.</p>

<p>Reportedly, there is a significant deposit of aerosols in the stratosphere above the continent, which has contributed to the lilac sky. The volcanic eruptions usually release these aerosols which can hang and circulate around for months, often bending the light from Sun and creating these mesmerizing views.&nbsp;</p>
<img alt="Aerosol detection above Antarctica. Pic Credit: NIWA" data-caption="Aerosol detection above Antarctica. Pic credit: NIWA" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d205985b-41a0-40b1-a394-3c42868175fe" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/strato-layer-grahic.png" />
<p>New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospherics (NIWA) which had received the images from Stuart, remarked&nbsp;that&nbsp;a similar phenomenon was recently witnessed in Australia and New Zealand last month.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Earth's southernmost continent of Antarctica is having a dazzling mid-winter. The usually dark skies have been brushed with scintillating bright hues of purple, pink and orange.

Earth's southernmost continent of Antarctica is having a dazzling mid-winter. The usually dark skies have been brushed with scintillating bright hues of purple, pink and orange. Together, creating a mirage, which looks straight out of a utopian dream. Thanks to the Tongan volcano that erupted nearly seven months back in January, the entire skyline of Antarctica has been graced with a dreamy vision. Despite being over 7,000 kilometres away from Tonga, the great white continent has been affected, albeit aesthetically. The stunning images were captured by Stuart Shaw, a New Zealand science technician who is currently stationed at Scott Base for the winter. Reportedly, there is a significant deposit of aerosols in the stratosphere above the continent, which has contributed to the lilac sky. The volcanic eruptions usually release these aerosols which can hang and circulate around for months, often bending the light from Sun and creating these mesmerizing views. New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospherics (NIWA) which had received the images from Stuart, remarked that a similar phenomenon was recently witnessed in Australia and New Zealand last month.

Antarctica dazzles in bright lilac, orange skies at night; seven months after Tonga volcano eruption

In an alarming development, microplastics have been found in freshly fallen snow in Antarctica for the first time. This is concerning as it could accelerate the melting of the snow and ice which would disrupt the continent's unique ecosystems

Microplastic found in fresh snowfall in Antarctica

<p>After making its presence felt in human lungs and blood, microplastics seem&nbsp;to have breached another frontier. It has been found in freshly fallen snow in Antarctica, media reports said. This has happened for the first time. The new discovery of the tiny plastics could prove detrimental for nature as it may accelerate melting of snow and ice. This may also threaten the unique ecosystems of the continent. Microplastics are even smaller than a grain of rice. Earlier, they were found in sea ice and surface water in Antarctica, the researchers said. Microplastics have also been found in humans and have been threatening to cause new troubles. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The research, which has been published in scientific journal ‘The Cryosphere’, has been conducted by Alex Aves, PhD student, University of Canterbury. It was supervised by Dr Laura Revell. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/climate-change-effect-snow-white-alps-turning-green-says-study-after-analysing-satellite-data-484609" hreflang="en">Climate change effect: ‘Snow-white' Alps turning green, says study after analysing satellite data</a></strong></p>

<p>In late 2019, Aves collected samples of snow from the Ross Ice Shelf to look whether microplastics were transferred from the atmosphere into the snow. “We were optimistic that she wouldn’t find any microplastics in such a pristine and remote location,” Revell said. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Samples were also collected by Aves from Scott Base and McMurdo Station roadways, where microplastics were found previously. So, “she’d have at least some microplastics to study,” Revell said. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Climate crisis: How can coastal areas survive rise in sea level?</strong></p>

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<p>After the tests, plastic particles were found in all the 19 samples from Ross Ice Shelf. “It’s incredibly sad but finding microplastics in fresh Antarctic snow highlights the extent of plastic pollution into even the most remote regions of the world,” Aves said. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Around an average of 29 microplastic particles per litre were found by Aves in snow. The samples taken from areas near scientific bases on Ross Island, Scott Base and McMurdo Station had nearly three times the plastics in comparison to the remote areas. In the results, Aves found 13 types of plastics. The most common was PET, which is used to make soft drink bottles and clothing. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>

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After making its presence felt in human lungs and blood, microplastics seem to have breached another frontier. It has been found in freshly fallen snow in Antarctica, media reports said.

After making its presence felt in human lungs and blood, microplastics seem to have breached another frontier. It has been found in freshly fallen snow in Antarctica, media reports said. This has happened for the first time. The new discovery of the tiny plastics could prove detrimental for nature as it may accelerate melting of snow and ice. This may also threaten the unique ecosystems of the continent. Microplastics are even smaller than a grain of rice. Earlier, they were found in sea ice and surface water in Antarctica, the researchers said. Microplastics have also been found in humans and have been threatening to cause new troubles. The research, which has been published in scientific journal ‘The Cryosphere’, has been conducted by Alex Aves, PhD student, University of Canterbury. It was supervised by Dr Laura Revell. Also Read | Climate change effect: ‘Snow-white' Alps turning green, says study after analysing satellite data In late 2019, Aves collected samples of snow from the Ross Ice Shelf to look whether microplastics were transferred from the atmosphere into the snow. “We were optimistic that she wouldn’t find any microplastics in such a pristine and remote location,” Revell said. Samples were also collected by Aves from Scott Base and McMurdo Station roadways, where microplastics were found previously. So, “she’d have at least some microplastics to study,” Revell said. Watch | Climate crisis: How can coastal areas survive rise in sea level? After the tests, plastic particles were found in all the 19 samples from Ross Ice Shelf. “It’s incredibly sad but finding microplastics in fresh Antarctic snow highlights the extent of plastic pollution into even the most remote regions of the world,” Aves said. Around an average of 29 microplastic particles per litre were found by Aves in snow. The samples taken from areas near scientific bases on Ross Island, Scott Base and McMurdo Station had nearly three times the plastics in comparison to the remote areas. In the results, Aves found 13 types of plastics. The most common was PET, which is used to make soft drink bottles and clothing. WATCH WION LIVE HERE (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Is it a warning? Microplastics breach another frontier, now found in freshly fallen snow in Antarctica

In pics - Marine life in newly explored Antarctic river deep beneath the ice

<p>Bacteria in Antarctica have been discovered with genes that give them natural antibiotic and antimicrobial resistance and have the potential to spread out of the polar regions, according to scientists in Chile.</p>

<p>Andres Marcoleta, a researcher from the University of Chile who headed the study published in the Science of the Total Environment journal in March, said that these "superpowers" which evolved to resist extreme conditions are contained in mobile DNA fragments that can easily be transferred to other bacteria.</p>

<p>Researchers found that the Pseudomonas bacteria, one of the predominant bacteria groups in the Antarctic Peninsula, are not pathogenic but can be a source of 'resistance genes', which are not stopped by common disinfectants such as copper, chlorine, or quaternary ammonium.</p>

<p>However, the other kind of bacteria they researched, Polaromonas bacteria, does have the potential to inactivate beta-lactam type antibiotics, which are essential for the treatment of different infections, according to Marcoleta.</p>

<p>"(We found) antibiotic resistance and other types of resistance, such as metals or disinfectants such as quaternary ammonium or chlorine. We found that all the genetic information present in these bacteria that confer these hyper-resistance properties could be a potential source of resistance mechanisms that can be transferred to disease-causing bacteria," Marcoleta said.</p>

<p>Scientists from the University of Chile collected several samples from the Antarctic Peninsula from 2017 to 2019.</p>

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Bacteria in Antarctica have been discovered with genes that give them natural antibiotic and antimicrobial resistance and have the potential to spread out of the polar regions, according to scientists in Chile.

Bacteria in Antarctica have been discovered with genes that give them natural antibiotic and antimicrobial resistance and have the potential to spread out of the polar regions, according to scientists in Chile. Andres Marcoleta, a researcher from the University of Chile who headed the study published in the Science of the Total Environment journal in March, said that these "superpowers" which evolved to resist extreme conditions are contained in mobile DNA fragments that can easily be transferred to other bacteria. Researchers found that the Pseudomonas bacteria, one of the predominant bacteria groups in the Antarctic Peninsula, are not pathogenic but can be a source of 'resistance genes', which are not stopped by common disinfectants such as copper, chlorine, or quaternary ammonium. However, the other kind of bacteria they researched, Polaromonas bacteria, does have the potential to inactivate beta-lactam type antibiotics, which are essential for the treatment of different infections, according to Marcoleta. "(We found) antibiotic resistance and other types of resistance, such as metals or disinfectants such as quaternary ammonium or chlorine. We found that all the genetic information present in these bacteria that confer these hyper-resistance properties could be a potential source of resistance mechanisms that can be transferred to disease-causing bacteria," Marcoleta said. Scientists from the University of Chile collected several samples from the Antarctic Peninsula from 2017 to 2019. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Bacteria with antibiotic resistant genes discovered in Antarctica

<p>Imagine four months without any sunlight – That is the reality for Antarctica as it entered the ‘long night’ period with the final sunset on May 13. The isolation and extreme temperatures in the region may feel intimidating to most people but it also presents a special opportunity for astronauts to prepare for their space missions and practice living in some of the harder conditions on earth. With no sunlight and harsh conditions, these four months are perfect for their grueling training.</p>

<p>Although most places around the world experience four major seasons, there are only two – summer and winter – when it comes to Antarctica. The coldest continent in the earth experiences sunlight for six months while the other part of the year is spent in complete darkness.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-wions-global-summit-2022-world-leaders-converge-to-discuss-thoughts-issues-479257" hreflang="en">LIVE | WION's Global Summit 2022: Mindful of bioweapon, thanks to Wuhan virus'</a></p>

<p>Concordia, the remotest base in Antarctica, will once again be the base for the 12-member team from the European Space Agency (ESA) who will live and work in isolation. The mission for the crew will be to conduct various experiments to understand how the harsh conditions affect humans.</p>

<p>“From sleep studies to gut health measurements to mindful practices, the crew are poked and prodded to help researchers understand and overcome the challenges extreme environments, like space, pose to present and future explorers,” the ESA said on its official website.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-are-on-the-brink-of-the-next-world-war-former-belarusian-minister-vladzimir-astapenka-479412">We are on the brink of next world war: Former Belarusian minister Astapenka</a></p>

<p>The Concordia station will also not be receiving any more resources from outside as the last supplies flight visited Antarctica in February. In theory, the base is currently stocked up for at least nine months and the temperatures are expected to drop to nearly -80 degrees Celsius.&nbsp;</p>

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Imagine four months without any sunlight – That is the reality for Antarctica as it entered the ‘long night’ period with the final sunset on May 13. The isolation and extreme temperatures in the region may feel intimidating to most people but it also presents a special opportunity for astronauts to prepare for their space missions and practice living in some of the harder conditions on earth.

Imagine four months without any sunlight – That is the reality for Antarctica as it entered the ‘long night’ period with the final sunset on May 13. The isolation and extreme temperatures in the region may feel intimidating to most people but it also presents a special opportunity for astronauts to prepare for their space missions and practice living in some of the harder conditions on earth. With no sunlight and harsh conditions, these four months are perfect for their grueling training. Although most places around the world experience four major seasons, there are only two – summer and winter – when it comes to Antarctica. The coldest continent in the earth experiences sunlight for six months while the other part of the year is spent in complete darkness. Also read | LIVE | WION's Global Summit 2022: Mindful of bioweapon, thanks to Wuhan virus' Concordia, the remotest base in Antarctica, will once again be the base for the 12-member team from the European Space Agency (ESA) who will live and work in isolation. The mission for the crew will be to conduct various experiments to understand how the harsh conditions affect humans. “From sleep studies to gut health measurements to mindful practices, the crew are poked and prodded to help researchers understand and overcome the challenges extreme environments, like space, pose to present and future explorers,” the ESA said on its official website. Also read | We are on the brink of next world war: Former Belarusian minister Astapenka The Concordia station will also not be receiving any more resources from outside as the last supplies flight visited Antarctica in February. In theory, the base is currently stocked up for at least nine months and the temperatures are expected to drop to nearly -80 degrees Celsius. WATCH WION LIVE HERE -

'Extreme environment': Antarctica goes dark for four months as 'long night' begins

There's a major breakthrough in the understanding of how ice flows in Antarctica. Research suggests that there is the largest reservoir of liquid water below the ice stream and it affects how the ice flows in Antarctica.

Antarctica: Scientists find ocean-floor like sediments under ice stream

Emperor penguins are now facing an existential threat due to Global Warming. A researcher at the Argentine Antarctic Institute believes that emperor penguins might disappear within the next 30-40 years

Study reveals threats to Emperor Penguins, species may disappear in 30-40 yrs

Climate change threatens Emperor penguins; species faces extinction in 30 years

<p>Antarctica is a frigid landscape with unending ice in any direction you see. But what lies below thousands of metres of ice? More ice or something else?. Do mysterious organisms lurk beneath?</p>

<p>Scientists have discovered a vast seawater aquifer below a fast-flowing ice stream in West Antarctica. This ice stream is itself under the surface and above the aquifer.</p>

<p>The aquifer contains seawater and scientists think it is likely that it has been locked there for thousands of years. It is unknown whether there are any organisms living there.</p>

<p>This is the first time groundwater has been detected beneath ice stream in Antarctica. This may help us in understanding how Antarctica reacts to climate change.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-astronaut-team-departs-iss-to-come-back-to-earth-476702">NASA astronaut team departs ISS to come back to Earth</a></strong></p>

<p>This groundwater system is saturated with water and is made up of porous sediments. It's almost like a huge sponge.</p>

<p>"The 'sponge' that we observe is anywhere from half a kilometer to about two kilometers thick [0.3 to 1.2 miles], so it's pretty deep," said Chloe D. Gustafson, lead author of the new study on the aquifer. She was quoted by Live Science.</p>

<p>There is a system of rivers and lakes that are located beneath this particular ice shelf. Scientists think that the newly found aquifer contains 10 times more water than these subglacial rivers and lakes.</p>

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Antarctica is a frigid landscape with unending ice in any direction you see. But what lies below thousands of metres of ice? More ice or something else?. Do mysterious organisms lurk beneath?

Antarctica is a frigid landscape with unending ice in any direction you see. But what lies below thousands of metres of ice? More ice or something else?. Do mysterious organisms lurk beneath? Scientists have discovered a vast seawater aquifer below a fast-flowing ice stream in West Antarctica. This ice stream is itself under the surface and above the aquifer. The aquifer contains seawater and scientists think it is likely that it has been locked there for thousands of years. It is unknown whether there are any organisms living there. This is the first time groundwater has been detected beneath ice stream in Antarctica. This may help us in understanding how Antarctica reacts to climate change. Also Read | NASA astronaut team departs ISS to come back to Earth This groundwater system is saturated with water and is made up of porous sediments. It's almost like a huge sponge. "The 'sponge' that we observe is anywhere from half a kilometer to about two kilometers thick [0.3 to 1.2 miles], so it's pretty deep," said Chloe D. Gustafson, lead author of the new study on the aquifer. She was quoted by Live Science. There is a system of rivers and lakes that are located beneath this particular ice shelf. Scientists think that the newly found aquifer contains 10 times more water than these subglacial rivers and lakes. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Antarctica: Scientists find subglacial aquifer teeming with seawater

Climate change and rapidly rising temperatures at the poles are threatening the lives of Adelie penguins dealing with food insecurity.

Two versions of Antarctica: Penguins faltering on western Antarctica

<p>The rapid collapses of two ice shelves on the Antarctic Peninsula over the past quarter-century were most likely triggered by the arrival of huge plumes of warm, moisture-laden air that created extreme conditions and destabilized the ice, researchers said Thursday.</p>

<p>The disintegration of the Larsen A shelf in 1995 and of the Larsen B shelf in 2002 were preceded by landfall of these plumes, called atmospheric rivers, from the Pacific Ocean. They generated extremely warm temperatures over several days that caused surface melting of the ice that led to fracturing, and reduced sea ice cover, allowing ocean swells to flex the ice shelves and further weaken them.</p>

<p>“We identify atmospheric rivers as a mechanism that can create extreme conditions over the ice shelves of the Antarctic Peninsula and potentially lead to their destabilization,” said Jonathan Wille, a climatologist and meteorologist at the Université Grenoble Alpes in France and lead author of a study describing the research in the journal Communications Earth and Environment.</p>

<p>Although there have been no collapses on the peninsula since 2002, Wille and his colleagues found that atmospheric rivers also triggered 13 of 21 large iceberg-calving events from 2000-20.</p>

<p>Wille said the larger Larsen C shelf, which is still mostly intact and, at about 17,000 square miles, is the fourth-largest ice shelf in Antarctica, could eventually suffer the same fate as A and B.</p>

<p>“The only reason why melting has not been significant so far is because it’s just farther south compared to the others, therefore colder,” he said. But as the world continues to warm, atmospheric rivers are expected to become more intense. “The Larsen C will now be at risk from the same processes,” he said.</p>

<p>Kyle Clem, a researcher at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand who was not involved in the study, said the work also showed that other parts of Antarctica that are not warming as fast as the peninsula could eventually be susceptible as well, since the mechanism that the researchers documented is more dependent on warming where the atmospheric river originates.</p>

<p>“The amount of heat and moisture that atmospheric rivers transport is higher than it would be without global warming,” Clem said. “So the air mass that slams into Antarctica is much, much warmer. And it’s these episodes of extreme events that lead to ice shelf collapse.”</p>

<p>“You could get this anywhere in Antarctica,” he said.</p>

<p>Shelves are floating tongues of ice that serve to hold back most of the ice that covers Antarctica to depths up to nearly 3 miles. When a shelf collapses, the flow of this land ice to the ocean accelerates, increasing the rate of sea level rise.</p>

<p>Although the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet is relatively small — if it all melted, seas would rise by less than 1 foot — the collapse of ice shelves elsewhere on the continent could lead to much greater sea level rise over centuries.</p>

<p>Last month, a small ice shelf collapsed in East Antarctica, which is considered the most stable part of the continent. In the days before, an intense atmospheric river arrived in the region. It led to record high temperatures, but researchers are not yet certain how much of a role it played, if any, in the shelf’s disintegration.</p>

<p>Atmospheric rivers occur when a large stationary zone of high-pressure air meets a low-pressure storm system. A narrow stream of moist air flows from the confluence of the two.</p>

<p>In a typical Southern Hemisphere summer, the peninsula gets from one to five of these events, the researchers said. They looked at only the ones that contained the highest volume of water vapor.</p>

<p>If a river is intense enough, it can lead to several days of surface melting of the ice shelf. As the meltwater flows into crevices, it refreezes, expanding and widening the cracks. Eventually such repeated hydrofracturing, as the process is called, can cause the ice shelf to disintegrate.</p>

<p>The atmospheric river can also spur the process by melting sea ice, or if its associated winds push the sea ice away from the shelf. That allows ocean waves to rock the ice shelf, further stressing it.</p>

<p>Some large ice shelves in West Antarctica are thinning as a result of melting from underneath by warm ocean water. Catherine Walker, a glaciologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts who was not involved in the study, said that regardless of the long-term trends of warming and thinning, “this paper brings up the important point that very brief weather events can push an ice shelf past its tipping point.”</p>


The rapid collapses of two ice shelves on the Antarctic Peninsula over the past quarter-century were most likely triggered by the arrival of huge plumes of warm, moisture-laden air that created extreme conditions and destabilized the ice, researchers said Thursday.

The rapid collapses of two ice shelves on the Antarctic Peninsula over the past quarter-century were most likely triggered by the arrival of huge plumes of warm, moisture-laden air that created extreme conditions and destabilized the ice, researchers said Thursday. The disintegration of the Larsen A shelf in 1995 and of the Larsen B shelf in 2002 were preceded by landfall of these plumes, called atmospheric rivers, from the Pacific Ocean. They generated extremely warm temperatures over several days that caused surface melting of the ice that led to fracturing, and reduced sea ice cover, allowing ocean swells to flex the ice shelves and further weaken them. “We identify atmospheric rivers as a mechanism that can create extreme conditions over the ice shelves of the Antarctic Peninsula and potentially lead to their destabilization,” said Jonathan Wille, a climatologist and meteorologist at the Université Grenoble Alpes in France and lead author of a study describing the research in the journal Communications Earth and Environment. Although there have been no collapses on the peninsula since 2002, Wille and his colleagues found that atmospheric rivers also triggered 13 of 21 large iceberg-calving events from 2000-20. Wille said the larger Larsen C shelf, which is still mostly intact and, at about 17,000 square miles, is the fourth-largest ice shelf in Antarctica, could eventually suffer the same fate as A and B. “The only reason why melting has not been significant so far is because it’s just farther south compared to the others, therefore colder,” he said. But as the world continues to warm, atmospheric rivers are expected to become more intense. “The Larsen C will now be at risk from the same processes,” he said. Kyle Clem, a researcher at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand who was not involved in the study, said the work also showed that other parts of Antarctica that are not warming as fast as the peninsula could eventually be susceptible as well, since the mechanism that the researchers documented is more dependent on warming where the atmospheric river originates. “The amount of heat and moisture that atmospheric rivers transport is higher than it would be without global warming,” Clem said. “So the air mass that slams into Antarctica is much, much warmer. And it’s these episodes of extreme events that lead to ice shelf collapse.” “You could get this anywhere in Antarctica,” he said. Shelves are floating tongues of ice that serve to hold back most of the ice that covers Antarctica to depths up to nearly 3 miles. When a shelf collapses, the flow of this land ice to the ocean accelerates, increasing the rate of sea level rise. Although the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet is relatively small — if it all melted, seas would rise by less than 1 foot — the collapse of ice shelves elsewhere on the continent could lead to much greater sea level rise over centuries. Last month, a small ice shelf collapsed in East Antarctica, which is considered the most stable part of the continent. In the days before, an intense atmospheric river arrived in the region. It led to record high temperatures, but researchers are not yet certain how much of a role it played, if any, in the shelf’s disintegration. Atmospheric rivers occur when a large stationary zone of high-pressure air meets a low-pressure storm system. A narrow stream of moist air flows from the confluence of the two. In a typical Southern Hemisphere summer, the peninsula gets from one to five of these events, the researchers said. They looked at only the ones that contained the highest volume of water vapor. If a river is intense enough, it can lead to several days of surface melting of the ice shelf. As the meltwater flows into crevices, it refreezes, expanding and widening the cracks. Eventually such repeated hydrofracturing, as the process is called, can cause the ice shelf to disintegrate. The atmospheric river can also spur the process by melting sea ice, or if its associated winds push the sea ice away from the shelf. That allows ocean waves to rock the ice shelf, further stressing it. Some large ice shelves in West Antarctica are thinning as a result of melting from underneath by warm ocean water. Catherine Walker, a glaciologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts who was not involved in the study, said that regardless of the long-term trends of warming and thinning, “this paper brings up the important point that very brief weather events can push an ice shelf past its tipping point.”

Scientists solve an Antarctic puzzle

The clock is ticking to save the planet and the United Nations has come out with a new report that hints at Global warming could cause profound human misery.

UN report: Global warming could cause profound human misery

UN climate report: The World needs to cut down on emissions

Many states in India under the grip of heatwave. Shocking rise in temperature recorded in Antarctica. The planet is heating up, fast. Global Warming is a ticking time bomb We tell you why you can't ignore it.

WION Wideangle | Global Warming: A ticking time bomb

Parts of Antarctica have recorded temperature that's 38 degrees Celsius above normal. Scientists are calling it an extraordinary heatwave. The Antarctic ice shelf has collapsed as a result of the record heat. How is all of this affecting you? Listen in to Palki Sharma.

Gravitas: Antarctica records temperatures 38 degrees above normal

Ice shelf as big as Rome has collapsed in East Antarctica due to extraordinary heatwave. This is worrisome and the question arises, 'Is World's coldest place warming up?'

Glenzer Conger ice shelf collapses in East Antarctica

<p>According to satellite data, an ice sheet the size of Rome has totally disintegrated in east Antarctica.</p>

<p>The Conger ice shelf, which had a surface area of about 1,200 square kilometres, disintegrated on March 15, according to scientists.</p>

<p>Last week, East Antarctica experienced exceptionally mild temperatures, with Concordia station setting a new record temperature of -11.8°C on March 18, more than 40°C above seasonal norms.</p>

<p>An atmospheric river confined heat over the continent, resulting in record temperatures.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ice shelves are over-the-water extensions of ice sheets that play a vital role in controlling inland ice.</p>

<p>Inland ice flows quicker into the ocean without them, causing sea level rise.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dr Catherine Colello Walker, an earth and planetary scientist at Nasa, said though the Conger ice shelf was relatively small, "it is one of the most significant collapse events anywhere in Antarctica since the early 2000s when the Larsen B ice shelf disintegrated."</p>

<p>"It won’t have huge effects, most likely, but it’s a sign of what might be coming," Walker said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Complete collapse of East Antarctica's Conger Ice Shelf (~1200 sq. km) ~March 15, seen in combo of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Landsat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Landsat</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MODIS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MODIS</a> imagery. Possible it hit its tipping point following the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antarctic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Antarctic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtmosphericRiver?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AtmosphericRiver</a> and heatwave too? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CongerIceShelf?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CongerIceShelf</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antarctica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Antarctica</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/helenafricker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@helenafricker</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/icy_pete?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@icy_pete</a> <a href="https://t.co/7dP5d6isvd">https://t.co/7dP5d6isvd</a> <a href="https://t.co/1wzmuOwdQn">pic.twitter.com/1wzmuOwdQn</a></p>
— Catherine Colello Walker (@CapComCatWalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/CapComCatWalk/status/1507137389432434739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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According to satellite data, an ice sheet the size of Rome has totally disintegrated in east Antarctica. The Conger ice shelf, which had a surface area of about 1,200 square kilometres, disintegrated on March 15, according to scientists.

According to satellite data, an ice sheet the size of Rome has totally disintegrated in east Antarctica. The Conger ice shelf, which had a surface area of about 1,200 square kilometres, disintegrated on March 15, according to scientists. Last week, East Antarctica experienced exceptionally mild temperatures, with Concordia station setting a new record temperature of -11.8°C on March 18, more than 40°C above seasonal norms. An atmospheric river confined heat over the continent, resulting in record temperatures. Ice shelves are over-the-water extensions of ice sheets that play a vital role in controlling inland ice. Inland ice flows quicker into the ocean without them, causing sea level rise. Dr Catherine Colello Walker, an earth and planetary scientist at Nasa, said though the Conger ice shelf was relatively small, "it is one of the most significant collapse events anywhere in Antarctica since the early 2000s when the Larsen B ice shelf disintegrated." "It won’t have huge effects, most likely, but it’s a sign of what might be coming," Walker said. Complete collapse of East Antarctica's Conger Ice Shelf (~1200 sq. km) ~March 15, seen in combo of #Landsat and #MODIS imagery. Possible it hit its tipping point following the #Antarctic #AtmosphericRiver and heatwave too? #CongerIceShelf #Antarctica @helenafricker @icy_pete https://t.co/7dP5d6isvd pic.twitter.com/1wzmuOwdQn — Catherine Colello Walker (@CapComCatWalk) March 24, 2022 × (With inputs from agencies)

An ice shelf about the size of Rome completely collapsed in Antarctica

<p>Within days of record high temperatures in East Antarctica, an ice shelf the size of Rome collapsed completely in East Antarctica.</p>

<p>Scientists&nbsp;report&nbsp;that the Conger ice shelf collapsed around 15 March, it had a surface area of approximately 1,200 square kilometres.</p>

<p>Despite the small size of the Conger ice shelf, Dr Catherine Colello Walker, Earth and planetary scientist said, “it is one of the most significant collapse events anywhere in Antarctica since the early 2000s when the Larsen B ice shelf disintegrated”.</p>

<p>Walker said it won't have significant effects, but it could be a sign of things to come.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/unprecedented-heatwaves-recorded-at-earths-poles-scientists-warn-of-climate-calamity-464304">‘Unprecedented’ heatwaves recorded at Earth’s poles, scientists warn of climate calamity</a></strong></p>

<p>Concordia station in East Antarctica, recorded a record temperature of -11.8C on 18 March, about 40C higher than seasonal norms. Temperature records were set as a result of an atmospheric river that trapped heat over the continent.</p>

<p>Walker noted that the Conger ice shelf had been shrinking since the mid-2000s, but it was only slowly diminishing until the start of 2020.</p>

<p>Yet by 4 March, the ice shelf appeared to have lost more than half its surface area as compared with January measurements of approximately 1,200 square kilometres.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The long term demise and eventual collapse of Conger ice shelf in East Antarctica 🇦🇶 as observed by <a href="https://twitter.com/CopernicusEU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CopernicusEU</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sentinel1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sentinel1</a> 🛰️ <a href="https://t.co/z78KGokTna">pic.twitter.com/z78KGokTna</a></p>
— Stef Lhermitte (@StefLhermitte) <a href="https://twitter.com/StefLhermitte/status/1507269147251597312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Glaciologist and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, Peter Neff, said that even the collapse of a small ice shelf in East Antarctica was a surprise.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/antarctica-experiences-massive-heat-wave-hits-record-high-temperatures-463940">Antarctica experiences massive heat wave, hits record high temperatures</a></strong></p>

<p>Satellite data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission indicated the ice shelf began moving between 5 and 7 March.</p>

<p>Professor Helen Amanda Fricker of the Scripps Polar Center said three calving events occurred in East Antarctica in March - that is, ice chunks broke off from the edge of a glacier. In addition to the collapse of the Conger ice shelf, the Totten glacier and Glenzer ice shelf also had smaller but similar events.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">There have been three iceberg calving events from East Antarctica during March. This animation by <a href="https://twitter.com/CapComCatWalk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CapComCatWalk</a> shows one dramatic style of calving: the collapse of Conger Ice Shelf around 15th March 1/6 <a href="https://t.co/hZrvOuSW2m">https://t.co/hZrvOuSW2m</a></p>
— Helen Amanda Fricker (@helenafricker) <a href="https://twitter.com/helenafricker/status/1507149345472217101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>“Much of East Antarctica is restrained by buttressing ice shelves, so we need to keep an eye on all the ice shelves there,” Fricker said in a tweet.</p>

<p>In 2002, the Larsen B ice shelf collapsed because of surface melting.</p>

<p>Alex Sen Gupta, an associate professor at the University of New South Wales, said the Antarctic heat event started on 15 March. According to him, large parts of eastern Antarctica experienced temperatures over 20C above normal.</p>

<p>Due to the fact that ice shelves are already floating, the Conger ice shelf breakup will not have much impact on the sea level, according to Matt King, the director of the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Temperatures soar by 30 degrees Celsius in Antarctica</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/temperatures-soar-by-30-degrees-celcius-in-antarctica-464006/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>However, climate change will lead to more ice shelves breaking up in the future, King warned. In the coming years, we will see massive ice shelves - bigger than this one - breaking up. This will hold back a lot of ice - enough to seriously boost global sea levels, he added.</p>

<p>Scientists are particularly concerned about the future of the Thwaites glacier,&nbsp; which is the size of Florida and is dubbed the "doomsday glacier" because it contains enough water to raise sea levels globally by more than half a meter.</p>

<p>According to King, the breakup of the Conger ice shelf is an example that things can change quickly.&nbsp;Ultimately, our carbon emissions will affect Antarctica, and the continent will affect the rest of the world's coastlines, possibly faster than we expect, he warned.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Within days of record high temperatures in East Antarctica, an ice shelf the size of Rome collapsed completely in East Antarctica. Scientists report that the Conger ice shelf collapsed around 15 March, it had a surface area of approximately 1,200 square kilometres.

Within days of record high temperatures in East Antarctica, an ice shelf the size of Rome collapsed completely in East Antarctica. Scientists report that the Conger ice shelf collapsed around 15 March, it had a surface area of approximately 1,200 square kilometres. Despite the small size of the Conger ice shelf, Dr Catherine Colello Walker, Earth and planetary scientist said, “it is one of the most significant collapse events anywhere in Antarctica since the early 2000s when the Larsen B ice shelf disintegrated”. Walker said it won't have significant effects, but it could be a sign of things to come. Also read | ‘Unprecedented’ heatwaves recorded at Earth’s poles, scientists warn of climate calamity Concordia station in East Antarctica, recorded a record temperature of -11.8C on 18 March, about 40C higher than seasonal norms. Temperature records were set as a result of an atmospheric river that trapped heat over the continent. Walker noted that the Conger ice shelf had been shrinking since the mid-2000s, but it was only slowly diminishing until the start of 2020. Yet by 4 March, the ice shelf appeared to have lost more than half its surface area as compared with January measurements of approximately 1,200 square kilometres. The long term demise and eventual collapse of Conger ice shelf in East Antarctica 🇦🇶 as observed by @CopernicusEU #sentinel1 🛰️ pic.twitter.com/z78KGokTna — Stef Lhermitte (@StefLhermitte) March 25, 2022 × Glaciologist and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, Peter Neff, said that even the collapse of a small ice shelf in East Antarctica was a surprise. Also read | Antarctica experiences massive heat wave, hits record high temperatures Satellite data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission indicated the ice shelf began moving between 5 and 7 March. Professor Helen Amanda Fricker of the Scripps Polar Center said three calving events occurred in East Antarctica in March - that is, ice chunks broke off from the edge of a glacier. In addition to the collapse of the Conger ice shelf, the Totten glacier and Glenzer ice shelf also had smaller but similar events. There have been three iceberg calving events from East Antarctica during March. This animation by @CapComCatWalk shows one dramatic style of calving: the collapse of Conger Ice Shelf around 15th March 1/6 https://t.co/hZrvOuSW2m — Helen Amanda Fricker (@helenafricker) March 25, 2022 × “Much of East Antarctica is restrained by buttressing ice shelves, so we need to keep an eye on all the ice shelves there,” Fricker said in a tweet. In 2002, the Larsen B ice shelf collapsed because of surface melting. Alex Sen Gupta, an associate professor at the University of New South Wales, said the Antarctic heat event started on 15 March. According to him, large parts of eastern Antarctica experienced temperatures over 20C above normal. Due to the fact that ice shelves are already floating, the Conger ice shelf breakup will not have much impact on the sea level, according to Matt King, the director of the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science. Watch | Temperatures soar by 30 degrees Celsius in Antarctica However, climate change will lead to more ice shelves breaking up in the future, King warned. In the coming years, we will see massive ice shelves - bigger than this one - breaking up. This will hold back a lot of ice - enough to seriously boost global sea levels, he added. Scientists are particularly concerned about the future of the Thwaites glacier, which is the size of Florida and is dubbed the "doomsday glacier" because it contains enough water to raise sea levels globally by more than half a meter. According to King, the breakup of the Conger ice shelf is an example that things can change quickly. Ultimately, our carbon emissions will affect Antarctica, and the continent will affect the rest of the world's coastlines, possibly faster than we expect, he warned. (With inputs from agencies)

Climate Change: Ice shelf the size of Rome collapses in East Antarctica; scientists sound the alarm

<p class="MsoNormal">The coldest location in the world has been experiencing high temperatures this week and this has caused a lot of concern among the meteorological experts. According to the data, Eastern Antarctica has recorded temperatures which are more than 30 degrees Celsius above the normal level.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The Concordia research base at Dome C, which is at an altitude of 3,000 metres (9,800 feet), on Friday registered a record -11.5 degrees Celsius (11.3 Fahrenheit), according to Etienne Kapikian, a meteorologist from France-Meteo.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Generally, the temperatures start to fall towards of the end of summer but the Dumont d'Urville station on Antarctica registered record temperatures for March with 4.9C (40.82F) – a time when the normal temperatures were already supposed to be sub-zero.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/forgotten-lottery-ticket-helps-us-man-win-89-million-jackpot-463926" hreflang="en">Forgotten lottery ticket helps US man win $8.9 million jackpot &nbsp;</a></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“This event is completely unprecedented and upended our expectations about the Antarctic climate system,” said Jonathan Wille, a researcher studying polar meteorology at Université Grenoble Alpes in France, said in an interview with the Washington Post.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“Antarctic climatology has been rewritten,” tweeted Stefano Di Battista, a researcher who has published studies on Antarctic temperatures. He went on to say that temperature anomalies like this one would have been considered “impossible” and “unthinkable” in theory.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The average high in Vostok – which is at the middle of the eastern ice sheet – is around -53 Celsius in March. But, on Friday, it went up to -17.7 Celsius – the warmest it has even been for almost 65 years. It broke the previous monthly record by a margin of almost 15 degrees Celsius.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-under-attack-ukrainian-army-claims-to-have-blocked-russias-main-routes-for-attacking-kyiv-463638" hreflang="en">Ukrainian army claims to have blocked Russia's main routes for attacking Kyiv</a></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“In about 65 record years in Vostok, between March and October, values ​​above -30°C were never observed,” wrote Di Battista in an email.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Vostok is a Russian meteorological observatory which saw the lowest temperature ever observed on Earth: minus 89.2 Celsius, set on July 21, 1983.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">(With inputs from agencies)</p>


The coldest location in the world has been experiencing high temperatures this week and this has caused a lot of concern among the meteorological experts. According to the data, Eastern Antarctica has recorded temperatures which are more than 30 degrees Celsius above the normal level.

The coldest location in the world has been experiencing high temperatures this week and this has caused a lot of concern among the meteorological experts. According to the data, Eastern Antarctica has recorded temperatures which are more than 30 degrees Celsius above the normal level. The Concordia research base at Dome C, which is at an altitude of 3,000 metres (9,800 feet), on Friday registered a record -11.5 degrees Celsius (11.3 Fahrenheit), according to Etienne Kapikian, a meteorologist from France-Meteo. Generally, the temperatures start to fall towards of the end of summer but the Dumont d'Urville station on Antarctica registered record temperatures for March with 4.9C (40.82F) – a time when the normal temperatures were already supposed to be sub-zero. Also read | Forgotten lottery ticket helps US man win $8.9 million jackpot “This event is completely unprecedented and upended our expectations about the Antarctic climate system,” said Jonathan Wille, a researcher studying polar meteorology at Université Grenoble Alpes in France, said in an interview with the Washington Post. “Antarctic climatology has been rewritten,” tweeted Stefano Di Battista, a researcher who has published studies on Antarctic temperatures. He went on to say that temperature anomalies like this one would have been considered “impossible” and “unthinkable” in theory. The average high in Vostok – which is at the middle of the eastern ice sheet – is around -53 Celsius in March. But, on Friday, it went up to -17.7 Celsius – the warmest it has even been for almost 65 years. It broke the previous monthly record by a margin of almost 15 degrees Celsius. Also read | Ukrainian army claims to have blocked Russia's main routes for attacking Kyiv “In about 65 record years in Vostok, between March and October, values above -30°C were never observed,” wrote Di Battista in an email. Vostok is a Russian meteorological observatory which saw the lowest temperature ever observed on Earth: minus 89.2 Celsius, set on July 21, 1983. (With inputs from agencies)

Antarctica experiences massive heat wave, hits record high temperatures

In worrying news from the environmental front, Antarctica has hit record temperatures in eastern Antarctica. Now, the temperatures have soared to more than 30 degrees Celsius above normal.

Temperatures soar by 30 degrees Celsius in Antarctica

<p>Researchers have artificial intelligence to create a ''treasure map'' that detects 30,000 meteorites hiding across Antarctica.</p>

<p>Published ''Universe Today,'' the study has been conducted by scientists from the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands.</p>

<p>Meteorites provide a unique view into the origin and evolution of the Solar System.&nbsp;These extraterrestrial rocks fell on Earth after surviving the passage through the atmosphere. Being directly accessible at the Earth’s surface, meteorites provide important insight into nebular and planetary processes.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-a-mysterious-space-object-has-spooked-astronomers-448271/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Antarctica is the most productive region for recovering meteorites, where these extraterrestrial rocks concentrate at meteorite stranding zones.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Through our analyses, we learned that satellite observations of temperature, ice flow rate, surface cover and geometry are good predictors of the location of meteorite-rich areas," said Veronica Tollenaar, who led the study.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/youngest-pair-of-asteroids-ever-discovered-in-solar-system-spotted-by-astronomers-451332" hreflang="en">Youngest pair of asteroids ever discovered in solar system spotted by astronomers</a></strong></p>

<p>"Antarctica is very remote and many areas have never been visited. We expect the 'treasure map' to be 80 percent accurate."&nbsp;</p>

<p>The analyses of the study suggests that less than 15 per cent of all meteorites at the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet have been recovered to date.</p>

<p>"We found several never-visited meteorite-rich areas that are relatively close to research stations," said Stef Lhermitte, who was involved in the study along with assistant professor David Tax from TU Delft.</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/is-there-life-on-mars-study-of-decades-old-meteorite-casts-doubt-on-presence-of-life-on-the-planet-444601">Also read |&nbsp;Is there life on Mars?: Study of decades-old meteorite casts doubt on presence of life on the planet</a></strong></p>

<p>"Moreover, the reports on the success of previous meteorite recovery missions are often ambiguous and not very detailed, which leads to a lack of good-quality labels. To circumvent this problem, we relied on 'positive and unlabeled learning', an emerging field in machine learning," Tollenaar said.</p>

<p>In 1996, NASA scientists presented research indicating a 4-billion-year-old meteorite found in Antarctica carried evidence of fossilized microbial life from Mars.</p>

<p>The initial discovery of the so-called Mars meteorite was greeted with acclaim and the rock unveiled at a standing room-only briefing at NASA headquarters in Washington.</p>

<p>Since then, however, criticism has surrounded that discovery, and the conclusive proof has been elusive.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Researchers have artificial intelligence to create a ''treasure map'' that detects 30,000 meteorites hiding across Antarctica. Published ''Universe Today,'' the study has been conducted by scientists from the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands.

Researchers have artificial intelligence to create a ''treasure map'' that detects 30,000 meteorites hiding across Antarctica. Published ''Universe Today,'' the study has been conducted by scientists from the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands. Meteorites provide a unique view into the origin and evolution of the Solar System. These extraterrestrial rocks fell on Earth after surviving the passage through the atmosphere. Being directly accessible at the Earth’s surface, meteorites provide important insight into nebular and planetary processes. Antarctica is the most productive region for recovering meteorites, where these extraterrestrial rocks concentrate at meteorite stranding zones. "Through our analyses, we learned that satellite observations of temperature, ice flow rate, surface cover and geometry are good predictors of the location of meteorite-rich areas," said Veronica Tollenaar, who led the study. Also read | Youngest pair of asteroids ever discovered in solar system spotted by astronomers "Antarctica is very remote and many areas have never been visited. We expect the 'treasure map' to be 80 percent accurate." The analyses of the study suggests that less than 15 per cent of all meteorites at the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet have been recovered to date. "We found several never-visited meteorite-rich areas that are relatively close to research stations," said Stef Lhermitte, who was involved in the study along with assistant professor David Tax from TU Delft. Also read | Is there life on Mars?: Study of decades-old meteorite casts doubt on presence of life on the planet "Moreover, the reports on the success of previous meteorite recovery missions are often ambiguous and not very detailed, which leads to a lack of good-quality labels. To circumvent this problem, we relied on 'positive and unlabeled learning', an emerging field in machine learning," Tollenaar said. In 1996, NASA scientists presented research indicating a 4-billion-year-old meteorite found in Antarctica carried evidence of fossilized microbial life from Mars. The initial discovery of the so-called Mars meteorite was greeted with acclaim and the rock unveiled at a standing room-only briefing at NASA headquarters in Washington. Since then, however, criticism has surrounded that discovery, and the conclusive proof has been elusive. (With inputs from agencies)

30,000 meteorites are hiding across Antarctica as per this 'treasure map' created by artificial intelligence

The thwaites glacier in Antarctica is called the doomsday glacier for good reason. A giant iceberg and large chunks of ice that broke off from the doomsday glacier have now blocked an expedition of scientists.

Large chunks of ice that broke off from Thwaites glacier blocks an expedition of scientists

<p>Penguins have become more than just a symbol of the frozen south of the earth. Researchers now use them as indicators of climate change near the South Pole. Certain western regions, such as the Antarctic Peninsula, have experienced rapid warming while East Antarctica remains cold and ice-covered.</p>

<p>Nothing is easy in the remote and icy reaches of Antarctica, but penguins are easier to track than other species because they nest on land and their black feathers and waste can be observed against the white ice.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/energy-inequality-plagues-the-world-us-causes-585-times-more-climate-emissions-than-congo-report-448543" hreflang="en">Energy inequality plagues the world; US causes 585 times more climate emissions than Congo: Report</a></strong></p>

<p>"We are counting penguin nests to understand how many penguins are in a colony, producing chicks every year, and whether that number is going up or down with the environmental conditions," said Borowicz, of Stony Brook University in New York.</p>

<p>"We can use penguins as a bioindicator to see how the rest of the ecosystem is operating," said Wethington, also of Stony Brook.</p>

<p>Counting individual penguins along with other methods such as satellite images provide a nuanced picture, showing some penguins dubbed 'winners' prosper as climate change opens new habitats, while others are compelled to migrate to colder climates.</p>

<p>The Gentoo penguin, with its bright orange beak and distinctive white marking on its head, prefers open water with chunks of ice bobbing about.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/plan-to-dim-sun-rays-gets-thumbs-down-from-experts-here-is-why-445348" hreflang="en">Plan to ‘dim sun rays’ gets thumbs down from experts. Here is why</a></strong></p>

<p>During the latter half of the 20th century, temperatures on the Antarctic Peninsula began rising faster than almost anywhere else in the world, leading to Gentoo populations expanding southwards - known as the "gentoofication" of Antarctica.</p>

<p>The reduction of sea ice at the western end of the peninsula has enabled the Gentoos to thrive. For tuxedo-wearing Adelies, which rely on sea ice for breeding and feeding, the same conditions have made it worse.</p>

<p>"When we find Adelie penguins, we typically know that sea ice is nearby," Wethington said. "And whenever we've seen sea ice declining or disappearing altogether, then we're seeing corresponding Adelie penguin populations decline substantially."</p>

<p>Overall, Adelie penguin populations are increasing, but some populations have declined by more than 65 per cent.</p>

<p>Scientists from Stony Brook University made an expedition to the region in January and found that Adelie colonies around the still-icy Weddell Sea had remained stable over the past decade.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Frozen iguanas fall from trees as cold snap hits Florida</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/frozen-iguanas-fall-from-trees-as-cold-snap-hits-florida-449244/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"This peninsula is maybe a safe space as we see climate change progressing and overall warming throughout the globe," Wethington said.</p>

<p>MV Arctic Sunrise expedition leader Heather Lynch believes the findings point to the conservation value of the region.</p>

<p>Using satellite images, a team from the British Antarctic Survey discovered 11 new emperor penguin colonies in 2020, increasing known colonies by 20 per cent.</p>

<p>The Halley Bay colony, on the most eastern side of the Weddell Sea, is home to the second-largest breeding colony of emperor penguins in the world, with about 25,000 breeding pairs gathering each year.</p>

<p>However, since 2016 every chick in this colony has perished.</p>

<p>Researchers believe the 2016 El Niño event altered the sea ice dynamics in the area, and penguins are at risk as climate change increases the frequency and severity of El Niños.</p>

<p>In spite of the chicks' deaths not being directly linked to climate change, Peter Fretwell, a geographic information scientist with the British Antarctic Survey, noted there was a climate change component to the loss.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Penguins have become more than just a symbol of the frozen south of the earth. Researchers now use them as indicators of climate change near the South Pole. Certain western regions, such as the Antarctic Peninsula, have experienced rapid warming while East Antarctica remains cold and ice-covered.

Penguins have become more than just a symbol of the frozen south of the earth. Researchers now use them as indicators of climate change near the South Pole. Certain western regions, such as the Antarctic Peninsula, have experienced rapid warming while East Antarctica remains cold and ice-covered. Nothing is easy in the remote and icy reaches of Antarctica, but penguins are easier to track than other species because they nest on land and their black feathers and waste can be observed against the white ice. Also read | Energy inequality plagues the world; US causes 585 times more climate emissions than Congo: Report "We are counting penguin nests to understand how many penguins are in a colony, producing chicks every year, and whether that number is going up or down with the environmental conditions," said Borowicz, of Stony Brook University in New York. "We can use penguins as a bioindicator to see how the rest of the ecosystem is operating," said Wethington, also of Stony Brook. Counting individual penguins along with other methods such as satellite images provide a nuanced picture, showing some penguins dubbed 'winners' prosper as climate change opens new habitats, while others are compelled to migrate to colder climates. The Gentoo penguin, with its bright orange beak and distinctive white marking on its head, prefers open water with chunks of ice bobbing about. Also read | Plan to ‘dim sun rays’ gets thumbs down from experts. Here is why During the latter half of the 20th century, temperatures on the Antarctic Peninsula began rising faster than almost anywhere else in the world, leading to Gentoo populations expanding southwards - known as the "gentoofication" of Antarctica. The reduction of sea ice at the western end of the peninsula has enabled the Gentoos to thrive. For tuxedo-wearing Adelies, which rely on sea ice for breeding and feeding, the same conditions have made it worse. "When we find Adelie penguins, we typically know that sea ice is nearby," Wethington said. "And whenever we've seen sea ice declining or disappearing altogether, then we're seeing corresponding Adelie penguin populations decline substantially." Overall, Adelie penguin populations are increasing, but some populations have declined by more than 65 per cent. Scientists from Stony Brook University made an expedition to the region in January and found that Adelie colonies around the still-icy Weddell Sea had remained stable over the past decade. Watch | Frozen iguanas fall from trees as cold snap hits Florida "This peninsula is maybe a safe space as we see climate change progressing and overall warming throughout the globe," Wethington said. MV Arctic Sunrise expedition leader Heather Lynch believes the findings point to the conservation value of the region. Using satellite images, a team from the British Antarctic Survey discovered 11 new emperor penguin colonies in 2020, increasing known colonies by 20 per cent. The Halley Bay colony, on the most eastern side of the Weddell Sea, is home to the second-largest breeding colony of emperor penguins in the world, with about 25,000 breeding pairs gathering each year. However, since 2016 every chick in this colony has perished. Researchers believe the 2016 El Niño event altered the sea ice dynamics in the area, and penguins are at risk as climate change increases the frequency and severity of El Niños. In spite of the chicks' deaths not being directly linked to climate change, Peter Fretwell, a geographic information scientist with the British Antarctic Survey, noted there was a climate change component to the loss. (With inputs from agencies)

Here's how scientists use Penguins to predict climate change

<p>Scientists have found evidence of an extreme solar 'tsunami' deep within the Earth's ice through analyses of ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica.</p>

<p>The study, conducted by a research team led by Lund University in Sweden, has been published in Nature Communications.</p>

<p>The sun,&nbsp;essentially a hot ball of hydrogen and helium,&nbsp;is an average-sized star that formed more than 4.5 billion years ago and is roughly halfway through its lifespan. Its diameter is about 864,000 miles (1.4 million km). Its surface temperature is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius).</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-find-hundreds-of-complex-mysterious-strands-at-the-heart-of-the-milky-way-448248" hreflang="en">Scientists find hundreds of complex, mysterious strands at the heart of the Milky Way</a></strong></p>

<p>When there is strong activity on the surface of the sun, more energy is released, something that can give rise to geomagnetic storms. This in turn can cause power outages and communication disturbances.</p>

<p>“We have studied drill cores from Greenland and Antarctica, and discovered traces of a massive solar storm that hit Earth during one of the sun's passive phases about 9,200 years ago”, says Raimund Muscheler, geology researcher at Lund University.</p>

<p>Solar flares are intense, short-lived releases of energy. They show up as bright areas on the sun, producing high levels of radiation and charged particles that can intensify solar winds,&nbsp;electrically charged particles continuously spewing outward from the sun.</p>

<p>The Earth’s magnetic field largely protects the planet from space weather. But massive solar flares can disrupt power grids, interfere with high-frequency airline and military communications, disrupt Global Positioning System signals and interrupt civilian communications, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which tracks solar flares.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/water-flowed-on-mars-about-a-billion-years-longer-than-previous-estimates-nasa-448238" hreflang="en">Water flowed on Mars about a billion years longer than previous estimates: NASA</a></strong></p>

<p>The researchers scoured the drill cores for peaks of the radioactive isotopes beryllium-10 and chlorine-36. These are produced by high-energy cosmic particles that reach Earth, and can be preserved in ice and sediment.</p>

<p>“This is time consuming and expensive analytical work. Therefore, we were pleasantly surprised when we found such a peak, indicating a hitherto unknown giant solar storm in connection with low solar activity”, says Raimund Muscheler.</p>

<p>The strong geomagnetic storm is racing from the Sun toward Earth, and its expected arrival could affect power grids, airplane routes and space-based satellite navigation systems, US space weather experts said.</p>

<p>The storm, a big cloud of charged particles flung from the Sun at about 4.5 million miles per hour (7.2 million km per hour), was spawned by a pair of solar flares, scientists said.</p>

<p>“These enormous storms are currently not sufficiently included in risk assessments. It is of the utmost importance to analyse what these events could mean for today's technology and how we can protect ourselves”, concludes Raimund Muscheler.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Scientists have found evidence of an extreme solar 'tsunami' deep within the Earth's ice through analyses of ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica. The study, conducted by a research team led by Lund University in Sweden, has been published in Nature Communications.

Scientists have found evidence of an extreme solar 'tsunami' deep within the Earth's ice through analyses of ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica. The study, conducted by a research team led by Lund University in Sweden, has been published in Nature Communications. The sun, essentially a hot ball of hydrogen and helium, is an average-sized star that formed more than 4.5 billion years ago and is roughly halfway through its lifespan. Its diameter is about 864,000 miles (1.4 million km). Its surface temperature is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius). Also read | Scientists find hundreds of complex, mysterious strands at the heart of the Milky Way When there is strong activity on the surface of the sun, more energy is released, something that can give rise to geomagnetic storms. This in turn can cause power outages and communication disturbances. “We have studied drill cores from Greenland and Antarctica, and discovered traces of a massive solar storm that hit Earth during one of the sun's passive phases about 9,200 years ago”, says Raimund Muscheler, geology researcher at Lund University. Solar flares are intense, short-lived releases of energy. They show up as bright areas on the sun, producing high levels of radiation and charged particles that can intensify solar winds, electrically charged particles continuously spewing outward from the sun. The Earth’s magnetic field largely protects the planet from space weather. But massive solar flares can disrupt power grids, interfere with high-frequency airline and military communications, disrupt Global Positioning System signals and interrupt civilian communications, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which tracks solar flares. Also read | Water flowed on Mars about a billion years longer than previous estimates: NASA The researchers scoured the drill cores for peaks of the radioactive isotopes beryllium-10 and chlorine-36. These are produced by high-energy cosmic particles that reach Earth, and can be preserved in ice and sediment. “This is time consuming and expensive analytical work. Therefore, we were pleasantly surprised when we found such a peak, indicating a hitherto unknown giant solar storm in connection with low solar activity”, says Raimund Muscheler. The strong geomagnetic storm is racing from the Sun toward Earth, and its expected arrival could affect power grids, airplane routes and space-based satellite navigation systems, US space weather experts said. The storm, a big cloud of charged particles flung from the Sun at about 4.5 million miles per hour (7.2 million km per hour), was spawned by a pair of solar flares, scientists said. “These enormous storms are currently not sufficiently included in risk assessments. It is of the utmost importance to analyse what these events could mean for today's technology and how we can protect ourselves”, concludes Raimund Muscheler. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists find evidence of an extreme solar 'tsunami' deep within Earth's ice

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