![Antarctica's ice sheets responded most strongly to the angle of Earth's tilt on its axis when the ice extends into the oceans.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vd4y2ujkxYdoemhZmvDL38-320-80.jpg)
Russian explorers discovered Antarctica 200 years ago. What we've learned about Earth's coldest continent.
Two centuries after it was first sighted by Russian explorers, Antarctica is a key site for studying the future of Earth's climate – and for global scientific cooperation.