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Scientists uncover extreme life inside the Arctic ice

In brief Researchers studied single-celled algae, called diatoms, from the Arctic that were previously assumed to be hibernating in the ice and found they were actually quite active. This activity, which continued when temperatures dropped to -15 C, is the coldest-ever movement recorded for a eukaryotic cell. The diatoms move through a type of gliding, which is enabled by a combination of mucus and molecular motors that are similar to systems seen in human muscles. Given how abundant these di

Scientists Stunned as Tiny Algae Keep Moving Inside Arctic Ice

Scientists know that microbial life can survive under some extreme conditions—including, hopefully, harsh Martian weather. But new research suggests that one particular microbe, an algal species found in Arctic ice, isn’t as immobile as it was previously believed. They’re surprisingly active, gliding across—and even within—their frigid stomping grounds. In a Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences paper published September 9, researchers explained that ice diatoms—single-celled algae wi

Antarctica Is Changing Rapidly. The Consequences Could Be Dire

This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Seen from space, Antarctica looks so much simpler than the other continents—a great sheet of ice set in contrast to the dark waters of the encircling Southern Ocean. Get closer, though, and you’ll find not a simple cap of frozen water, but an extraordinarily complex interplay between the ocean, sea ice, and ice sheets and shelves. That relationship is in serious peril. A new paper in the journal Nature catal

Antarctica Is Unraveling

Seen from space, Antarctica looks so much simpler than the other continents—a great sheet of ice set in contrast to the dark waters of the encircling Southern Ocean. Get closer, though, and you’ll find not a simple cap of frozen water, but an extraordinarily complex interplay between the ocean, sea ice, and ice sheets and shelves. That relationship is in serious peril. A new paper in the journal Nature catalogs how several “abrupt changes,” like the precipitous loss of sea ice over the last dec

Glacier Melt Reveals Remains of Antarctic Meteorologist Lost 66 Years Ago

In 1959, 25-year-old meteorologist Dennis Bell disappeared into a glacial crevasse in the Antarctic before the eyes of his horrified colleague. 66 years later, a Polish team has finally discovered his remains in the wake of a receding glacier. Personnel from the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station on Antarctica’s King George Island first found and recovered some of the remains on the Ecology Glacier in January, according to a statement by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). The following

SonicWall firewall devices hit in surge of Akira ransomware attacks

SonicWall firewall devices have been increasingly targeted since late July in a surge of Akira ransomware attacks, potentially exploiting a previously unknown security vulnerability, according to cybersecurity company Arctic Wolf. Akira emerged in March 2023 and quickly claimed many victims worldwide across various industries. Over the last two years, Akira has added over 300 organizations to its dark web leak portal and claimed responsibility for multiple high-profile victims, including Nissan

The Arctic Got So Warm in February, Svalbard’s Ground Was ‘Like Soft Ice Cream’

The Arctic island of Svalbard is so reliably frigid that humanity bet its future on the place. Since 2008, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault—set deep in frozen soil known as permafrost—has accepted nearly 1.4 million samples of more than 6,000 species of critical crops. But the island is warming six to seven times faster than the rest of the planet, making even winters freakishly hot, at least by Arctic standards. Indeed, in 2017, an access tunnel to the vault flooded as permafrost melted, though t

How to Travel to the Most Remote Office on Earth

In November 2023, Jessica Studer, a 33-year-old research medical doctor and professional pianist from Bremgarten, Switzerland, prepared for her trip to Antarctica’s Concordia research station. Most work trips require a flight and a few nights in a hotel; hers would involve several days of travel and a year at the most remote outpost in the world. Very few people have experience preparing for such an extreme journey. Concordia sits at 10,600 feet above sea level, with winter temperatures plummet