Australian Antarctic Division
New research shows that ‘explosive’ cyclones off Antarctica, caused by increasing extreme atmospheric events, can contribute to ice shelf calving and, ultimately, sea level rise.
This series of MODIS satellite images show a major rift moving in the direction of ice flow on the Amery Ice Shelf, with radial rifts extending west (T1) and east (T2) from the main rift. After two explosive twin cyclone events on the 19th and 21-24 September 2019, wind and wave action caused the T1 rift to expand, leading to the calving of iceberg D28 from the shelf front on 25 September – the largest local calving event since the early 1960s. Photo: NASA Worldview
âThatâs enough from usâ: What the Get Krackinâ team did next
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Kate McCartney is dressed as a penguin. Not over Zoom but on her 40th birthday, which she celebrated last year during Melbourneâs hard lockdown.
âI donât know if youâre gonna be able to see this very well,â she says, flicking through the photos on her phone, which she is holding up to her computerâs camera.
Kate McLennan (left) and Kate McCartney get up close with the penguinâs at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium.
Courtesy of Cancer Council WA
On Saturday 1 May, Cancer Council WA fundraiser, Alexander Correia, courageously and successfully completed a half marathon in the sub-Antarctic in honour of his late mother who died of lung and bone cancer.
Based on Macquarie Island (half-way between Australia and Antarctica) 29-year-old Mr Correia, who is part of the Australian Antarctic Division, battled freezing daytime temperatures and 50kmph winds, while navigating rough terrain (and a colony of elephant seals!) to raise money to help those affected by cancer.
Supported by 16 of his workmates and joined by the research station doctor and research station manager, Mr Correia achieved his goal, which included running more than 10 laps of the island’s isthmus, in just under two hours.
The Davis aerodrome and Australia’s leadership in the Antarctic
RAAF C-17A Globemaster III at Wilkins Aerodrome in Antarctica for Operation Southern Discovery 20/21 (Defence Department) Published 3 May 2021 06:00 0 Comments
Since the Davis aerodrome project in Antarctica was proposed in 2018 by the Australian government, there have been continuing debates about the potential environmental costs, as well as its geopolitical implications, in light of Australia’s sovereign claims to 42% of the frozen continent and its adjacent waters. The government has stated the proposed paved runway near the Davis research station will provide “reliable year-round aviation access to Antarctica” in addition to the existing ice runway at Wilkins aerodrome, which is only suitable in summer months.
Travel to Antarctica during Covid-19: What you need to know before you go
If you’re planning to travel to Antarctica, here’s what you’ll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The basics
Antarctica reported its first cases of Covid-19 in late December 2020. While scientists who observed strict quarantine rules sailed to the continent from the UK in November 2020, tourism remains severely restricted, with many cruise companies canceling their operations for the brief summer season.
What’s on offer
A remote icy wilderness at the end of the world, trips to Antarctica have grown in popularity in recent years, with travelers sailing across the Drake Passage from South America to catch a glimpse of sprawling penguin colonies, breaching whales and rare seabirds.