Antarctica news, features and articles

A group of penguins on an icy tundra
(Image credit: John Conrad via Getty Images)

Antarctica is famous for ice, penguins and being the least explored continent on Earth, but there's so much more to the southernmost continent. At Live Science, we ensure you have all the amazing facts about Antarctica and stay updated on the latest Antarctic discoveries. From why Antarctica's sea ice is reaching its lowest level to whether the frozen continent will ever be habitable, our expert writers and editors deliver the best Antarctica news, features and articles for you to read.

Discover more about Antarctica

—Antarctica: The southernmost continent

—8 famous Antarctic expeditions

—When did Antarctica become a continent?

Latest about Antarctica

underwater image of a lake beneath Antarctica

Scientists peered into a secret Antarctic lake hidden beneath the ice — and uncovered a never-before-seen ecosystem

By Skyler Ware published

Scientists investigating the frozen Lake Enigma in Antarctica discovered an ecosystem teeming with strange microbial communities.

Antarctica
A close-up photo of iceberg A23a floating on the sea

40-year-old 'mega' iceberg — the largest on Earth — is on the move after being trapped in a giant vortex for months

By Harry Baker published

The "megaberg" A23a is on the move again after spinning in one spot for months on end. This is the ice slab's second great escape in as many years after being stuck in place for the first 37 years of its existence.

Antarctica
A satellite photo of a horseshoe-shape island partly covered in snow

Antarctica's 'Deception Island' is one of the only places on Earth where you can sail into an active volcano

By Harry Baker published

Earth from space A 2018 satellite photo shows the aptly named Deception Island, which was formed by a massive eruption 4,000 years ago and remains volcanically active today.

Earth from space
A group of penguins huddles in an icy landscape

When was the last time Antarctica was ice-free?

By Victoria Atkinson published

Antarctica is covered by a miles-thick ice sheet, but was that always the case? And when was the coldest continent ice-free?

Antarctica
A view from above of a large glacier in the ocean

'Doomsday glacier' won't collapse the way we thought, new study suggests

By Mathieu Morlighem published

Antarctica
Wispy ice streaks stretching across the sea between two ice masses

High winds paint puzzling ice streaks across the sea in Antarctica

By Harry Baker published

Earth from space A 2021 satellite photo captured rare, wispy streaks of ice stretching across an ocean channel separating the Ronne Ice Shelf and a patch of multi-year sea ice in Antarctica.

Earth from space
A photo of an Antarctic lake, with some mossy vegetation on the ground and snowy mountains in the background

1st map of Antarctica's green space unveiled. Here's what it shows.

By Claudia Colesie published

Antarctica
Visualization of the sand dune shaped ice structures, with three large and three small curves of dark under the ice

Never-before-seen shapes up to 1,300 feet long discovered beneath Antarctic ice

By Ben Turner published

The unusual patterns, found beneath West Antarctica's Doston Ice Shelf, could help scientists to better understand how glaciers erode.

Antarctica
A research vessel in front of a massive iceberg

Giant river system that existed 40 million years ago discovered deep below Antarctic ice

By Kristel Tjandra published

"There was this gigantic river system": Researchers find ancient lost world deep beneath Antarctic ice.

Antarctica
Iron rich water falls into the ocean from the glacier

Blood Falls: Antarctica's crimson waterfall forged from an ancient hidden heart

By Sascha Pare published

Iron-rich waters buried beneath Taylor Glacier in East Antarctica are sporadically released in what looks like a bloody mess — but the so-called Blood Falls aren't as gruesome as they first appear and sound.

Antarctica
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