All posts tagged "Antarctica"

Washington (AFP) - The sea ice around Antarctica likely had a record low surface area when it was at its maximum size this winter, a preliminary US analysis of satellite data showed Monday. As the southern hemisphere transitions into spring, the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said in a statement that Antarctic sea ice had only reached a maximum size of 16.96 million square kilometers (6.55 million square miles) this year, on September 10. The ice pack typically reaches its largest size during the colder winter months, so the September 10 reading will likely remain this year's max......

British scientists are tracking two enormous icebergs that broke off from Antarctica and could intrude on shipping lanes. The smaller of the icebergs is called A81 and it’s bigger than Greater London, according to the BBC. Its larger travel companion is called A76a. The Royal Research Ship Discovery inspected the latter berg as it entered the southern Atlantic Ocean. “It was directly in our path as we sailed home so we took 24 hours out to go around it,” British oceanographer Geraint Tarlingtold the BBC. It’s slowly approaching the Falkland Islands, which are a British territory. Researchers’ ......

“Shackleton: The Biography” by Ranulph Fiennes; Pegasus Books (452 pages, $32) ——— Sometimes the greatest victories are hidden in defeats. Sir Ernest Shackleton wanted to be the first man to reach the South Pole, the first to cross Antarctica. He failed at both. Yet he became a hero anyway and is famous for his explorations. Ranulph Fiennes’ “Shackleton: The Biography” explains why. Part of an illustrious family (007′s current boss, Ralph Fiennes, is a cousin), Fiennes has been called the world’s greatest living explorer. Being a fellow arctic adventurer gives him “a unique perspective” on Sha......