NASA: Phytoplankton May Be Abundant Under Antarctic Sea Ice A decade ago, scientists on a NASA-sponsored ocean expedition found massive populations of phytoplankton blooming beneath sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. Now scientists using underwater instruments and a NASA satellite have found evidence of potentially significant blooms beneath the sea ice encircling Antarctica. The findings were recently published in the scientific journal Frontiers. Phytoplankton is to the ocean what […] Brains SnowBrains | November 29, 2022 0 Comments
Antarctica 2022 Report Day #5: Big Wind, Rowdy Zodiac Rides, & Wind Blown Powder View this post on Instagram A post shared by SnowBrains (@snowbrains) Report from November 11, 2022 On our fifth ski day in Antarctica, we had ripping winds and cloudy skies. From the boat, we could see a gully with wind-blown snow in it that looked soft and fun. We climbed up near the ridgeline, transitioned, and skied down into that […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | November 27, 2022 0 Comments
Antarctica Report Day #4: Skiing Through Seracs, Skiing to a Shipwreck, & a BBQ on the Back Deck View this post on Instagram A post shared by SnowBrains (@snowbrains) Report from November 10, 2022 This day started with a spectacular descent through seracs and crevasses on the west side of Nansen Island. The light was flat but the skiing was good. The old powder skied well and got a little funky and catchy toward the bottom. We headed […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | November 27, 2022 0 Comments
Antarctica 2022 Report Day #3: Full-On Powder Skiing, Leopard Seal & Pup, Humpback Whale Attack, Penguins Galore, & Stunning Icebergs View this post on Instagram A post shared by SnowBrains (@snowbrains) Report from November 9, 2022 Nope, a full-on powder day in Antarctica is not a normal thing… But, that’s precisely what happened on November 9, 2022. My group was the last Zodiac off the ship. There was powder everywhere… As the groups in front of us toiled up the […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | November 27, 2022 0 Comments
Antarctica 2022 Report Day #2: Full-On Storm Day Powder Skiing & Penguin Take Over View this post on Instagram A post shared by SnowBrains (@snowbrains) Report from November 8, 2022 Day 2 of our Antarctica ski trip with Ice Axe Expeditions 2022 brought us directly into a snowstorm. It really doesn’t snow much in Antarctica. Antarctica is the highest, driest, coldest, windiest continent. That said, the peninsula where we ski is a little different. […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | November 22, 2022 0 Comments
Antarctica 2022 Report Day #1: Heavy Snowfall, Ripping Winds Then Good Soft Skiing & Penguins View this post on Instagram A post shared by SnowBrains (@snowbrains) Report from November 7, 2022 Our 1st day in Antarctica with Ice Axe Expeditions in 3 years brought us to the continent itself. Charlotte Bay. We awoke to driving snow and ripping winds. We went back to bed… When we came back, the weather had calmed. We found about […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | November 21, 2022 3 Comments
NASA: Antarctic Sea Ice Reaches Record Low In February 2022, sea ice around Antarctica reached the lowest extent ever observed since the start of the satellite record in 1979. It marks the first time that the ice was observed to shrink below 2 million square kilometers. Sea ice in southern polar waters reached its lowest extent on February 25, 2022, at 1.92 million square kilometers (741,000 square […] SnowBrains | April 4, 2022 2 Comments
Antarctica Experiences Record High Temps Amid Transition to Winter Like many others this year, Antarctica, the coldest place on Earth, is experiencing a heatwave. It’s entering winter with record-breaking high temps. Antarctica has already started transitioning into its coldest months and darkest months. Temperatures usually begin dropping towards the end of the Southern Summer, but the continent is breaking records this March. Known as polar nights, daylight is minimal. […] Brains Aunika Skogen | March 23, 2022 0 Comments