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Earth Sciences

'So many ways you can be tripped up in Antarctica': Polar research delayed after COVID strikes

Researchers from the Australian Antarctic Division have completed one of the most ambitious expeditions since the 1960s, but the world's ice remains locked deep in the frozen continent.
A black coloured tractor in the Antarctic snow with whispy clouds across the blue sky. A large halo surrounds the sun.

This 'underground library' shows what Australia's climate was like 350,000 years ago

Researchers uncover new information about the coldest times in the continent's history by studying a system of caves on South Australia's Limestone Coast.
Aerial view of cave

The huskies are long gone, but Mawson Station continues 70 years after it was set up in Antarctica

On February 13, 1954, a group of expeditioners set up camp in Antarctica. Seventy years on, their huskies are no longer there but Australia's presence at Mawson Station remains vital for scientific research on the frozen continent.
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A husky and puppy lying together on a bench.

A La Niña watch has been called, but Australia's weather service says there is a lot more to unpack

Australians are still reeling from a summer of extreme weather events, so the news a US climate agency is on La Niña watch could spark fears about the years ahead. However, Australian scientists are taking a cautious approach.
A phone held in tow hands showing weather patterns on the screen.

Here is why not every wind from the ocean is a sea breeze

More than 85 per cent of Australians live within 50 kilometres of the ocean, but the variation in weather across any slice of this narrow coastal band is substantial.
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Sea breeze illustration shows uneven heating of the earth's surface near a coastline leads to a sea breeze circulation.

China opens Antarctic research station due south of Australia, begins operations for the first time

China opens its fifth Antarctic research station, starting operations in an outpost due south of Australia and New Zealand for the first time.
workers in orange protective gear construct a steel building frame overlooking the sea in Antarctica.

Kate spent summer in Antarctica. This is what it’s like to live in one of the most remote places on Earth

Kate Selway has spent the past two months battling subzero temperatures, perpetual sunlight, and getting stuck on the ice to help unlock the secrets of Antarctica’s melting glaciers.
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Kate Selway in fur hat

Scientists previously thought this corner of Antarctica was 'immune' from climate change — but now it's losing ice

In a whitewashed corner of one of the world's coldest continents, Australian scientists are living in tents and undertaking some of the most ambitious research in 20 years.
A man in winter gear walks through a blizzard toward three yellow tents.

NASA scientists surprised by pace of Greenland glacier ice melt

A study has found that the Greenland ice sheet lost one-fifth more mass than previously estimated, which could have implications for ocean currents that regulate temperatures in Europe and North America.
picture of a polar bear on ice

Study co-author Alex Gardner said the researchers were surprised when they arrived at the final figure.

The researcher found that Greenland's ice level was relatively steady from 1985 up until 2000 and began to rapidly melt thereafter.
ABC News Current
Duration: 52 seconds

Were you paying attention to science in 2023? Let's test your knowledge

Test your knowledge of the fascinating, hilarious and ground-breaking science discoveries from 2023. We promise it's more fun than a science test.
A woman stands inside a curling tube made of neon light

Thursday is Australia's longest day of the year. Here's the science behind it

This week, inhabitants of the Southern Hemisphere will experience their longest stretch of daylight hours over a 24-hour period, as the summer solstice approaches once again.
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Two women sit on a beach taking photos on their phone of a sunrising over the water at Bondi Beach

'Complex' study into potential rock art damage raises concerns as researchers call for more time

Popular theories about industry emissions damaging ancient rock art in Western Australia's Pilbara region are yet to be conclusively proven, according to a new report.
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Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program  2023-11-13 08:11:00

Himalayan glaciers are cooling down, potentially slowing down effects of climate change

The research shows that the glaciers have been cooling and drying in recent decades.
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A bird flies over a mountain.

Cyclone Jasper gave scientists with a rare research opportunity

As the clean-up begins, local scientists took the rare chance to observe the powerful weather system close-up.
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ABC News Current
Duration: 2 minutes 56 seconds

Global emissions at record highs as world continues to overspend on 'carbon budget'

New research shows global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have increased over the past year despite most of the world committing to net zero targets.
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A coal-fired power plant

Iceberg double the size of the ACT on the move for first time in 30 years

Recent satellite images reveal that the iceberg, weighing nearly a trillion metric tonnes, is drifting quickly past the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, aided by strong winds and currents.
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Earth briefly surpassed a crucial temperature milestone last week. Experts say there's more to be worried about

Last week, the planet appeared to briefly breach a climate threshold set by world governments for the first time. Experts say it is just another sign of how much the planet is warming.
Children on a roof drop a bucket of water on children standing on a suburban street in the middle of the day

Melting of all Greenland's glaciers 'in full swing' as speed of ice thaw increases fivefold

A study of a thousand glaciers in the area shows the rate of melting entering a new phase over the last two decades.
picture of a polar bear on ice

Hottest 12 months in probably 125,000 years, with El Niño only just getting started

Between November 2022 and October this year, the average global temperature was more than 1.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and more record highs are on the way.
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A heat map of the Earth on July 11, 2023.

What should have been a 4km refuelling trip for Australia's icebreaker is now a 660km debacle

Officials at the Australian Antarctic Division were left scrambling after a decision to block RSV Nuyina from transiting the Tasman Bridge and refuelling close to port, with the true cost of a 660km detour now revealed.
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Front on view of an icebreaker ship.

Geographers have studied sand movement on this beach for more than 50 years. Here's what they've learnt

Sand movement has been recorded on this beach on the New South Wales southern coast since 1971. It's one of the longest data sets in the world, and holds important clues for the future.
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A man stands on top of a sand dune cliff beside the beach, using a long white rod to measure its height.

How the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs sparked a climate catastrophe

The asteroid 66 million years ago erased three-quarters of the world's species in an instant — but new research suggests the final blow may have unfolded in the following years, as the skies were darkened by clouds of debris and temperatures plunged.
A drawing of a dinosaur running through a dusty forest towards a dinosaur skeleton

'Frozen in time': Ancient landscape beneath Antarctica revealed

Using satellite data, researchers uncover an ancient river system hidden for millions of years beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.
A plane wing extends out over the surface of Antarctica

How an airport runway, carved coconut trunks and an underground lens keep this Pacific nation hydrated

The Marshall Islands are surrounded by seawater, but fresh water is in short supply. As the Pacific nation stares down the barrel of climate change, people are working to help mitigate what's to come.
Two boys silhouetted against a sunrise over the ocean