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The Last Great Exploration Campaign on Earth

In this post, we're inviting you to discover a research initiative that isn't directly about Antarctica. It's the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance (AORA). Launched in 2013, AORA is a cooperative effort between the European Union, Canada and…
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Beyond EPICA

The European Beyond EPICA - Oldest Ice Core project started officially on 1st June. Its aim is to to drill for ice up to 1.5 million years old. This will give scientists unparalleled information on the history of Earth's climate. In turn, this…
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West Antarctic ice sheet thinning dramatically

Scientists have known for some time that the West Antarctic ice sheet is thinning. But new research from the University of Leeds, UK, and based on European Space Agency satellite data has revealed that the ice loss is much greater and faster…
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Life at one of the world’s remotest places

We've recently come across this video from 2018, which gives a fascinating glimpse into the lives of scientists at the Franco-Italian Concordia station situated on the Antarctic Plateau. Concordia is the one of the most isolated places on Earth.…
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Beyond EPICA is ‘go’ to drill for oldest ice on Earth

A European project called 'Beyond Epica' held a press conference on 9th April, announcing that it is is ready to start as of December this year. Its goal: drilling for the oldest ice on Earth in east Antarctica. Leading ice and climate scientists…
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Belgica 121: On its way home

Belgica 121, the low impact scientific mission to Antarctica that we've been reporting on, is heading back to South Africa. The team has been collecting samples of water and ocean life and diving in icy waters to advance understanding of biodiversity…
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EU-Polar net defines topics for EU polar research

If you've ever wondered why Europe is involved in polar research, the links below will give you some answers. Last year, 50 experts from 16 countries got together at a workshop in Spain to discuss which topics in polar research are relevant…

Entretiens-Monde

"Entretiens-Monde" est une plateforme de rencontres à l'initiative de collègues fonctionnaires européens: Michel Coomans, Jean Bourlès, Joël Le Quément. Je connais bien ce dernier, il travaillait comme moi à la Direction Générale "Recherche"…
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New research shows ice loss accelerating

ESA reports that a team of researchers from around the world has discovered that ice loss in Antarctica has accelerated three-fold since the last such study in 2012. Between 2012 and 2017, Antarctica lost 219 billion tonnes of ice a year, raising…
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Manmade pollution reaches Antarctica

A new report from Greenpeace has worrying news for the Antarctic wilderness. Scientists have found microplastics and persistent hazardous chemicals in snow and water samples from remote areas of the continent. Greenpeace and the EU are calling…