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.
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—Antarctica: Facts about the southernmost continent
Latest about Antarctica
Antarctic sea ice collapse linked to a mysterious spike in ocean salt
Satellite imagery has revealed a yet-to-be-explained rise in the Southern Ocean's salinity. It could be a key factor in the decline of the region's sea ice.
World's largest iceberg, A23a, is disintegrating into thousands of pieces alongside penguin refuge
Earth from space A new satellite photo has revealed that the "megaberg," A23a, is beginning to break apart, spawning thousands of smaller ice chunks around the Antarctic island of South Georgia.
NASA satellites show Antarctica has gained ice despite rising global temperatures. How is that possible?
An abrupt change in Antarctica has caused the continent to gain ice. But this increase, documented in NASA satellite data, is a temporary anomaly rather than an indication that global warming has reversed, scientists say.
What's hiding under Antarctica's ice?
Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent by size, so what's hiding under its massive sheaths of ice?
Antarctica: Facts about the southernmost continent
Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, and driest continent. Because so little moisture falls as rain or snow, Antarctica is classified as a desert.
Wilkes Land crater: The giant hole in East Antarctica's gravitational field likely caused by a meteorite
Researchers have proposed many origins for a gravity anomaly in Wilkes Land, East Antarctica, but the latest evidence suggests the subglacial hole is an impact crater measuring 315 miles across.
'We didn't expect to find such a beautiful, thriving ecosystem': Hidden world of life discovered beneath Antarctic iceberg
The newfound ecosystem is filled with sea crabs, octopuses and gigantic sponges, suggesting it may have been thriving for centuries.
Scientists create new map showing ice-free Antarctica in more detail than ever before
Bedmap3 is the most fine-grain map to date of the landscape beneath Antarctica's ice. Scientists created it using more than 60 years' worth of data from satellites, ships and dog-drawn sleds.
