https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/antarctica/RSS feed for AntarcticaenThu, 06 Aug 2026 20:26:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-does-antarcticas-blood-falls-spew-ruby-red-water-microbes-offer-new-clues-about-the-geologic-features-ancient-origins-180989271/The falls contain saltwater rich with iron, which oxidizes and turns red when exposed to air. A new study provides further evidence that the brine probably comes from ocean water trapped when flood waters retreated millions of years agoThu, 06 Aug 2026 20:26:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-does-antarcticas-blood-falls-spew-ruby-red-water-microbes-offer-new-clues-about-the-geologic-features-ancient-origins-180989271/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/antarctic-interior-hits-119-4-degrees-fahrenheit-earths-lowest-recorded-temperature-in-more-than-a-decade-180989231/The record-setting cold at the Concordia research station comes just weeks after another part of the southernmost continent experienced the opposite extreme, with winter temperatures climbing to unprecedented highsFri, 31 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/antarctic-interior-hits-119-4-degrees-fahrenheit-earths-lowest-recorded-temperature-in-more-than-a-decade-180989231/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-close-up-images-reveal-the-wreckage-of-ernest-shackletons-last-ship-now-draped-in-discarded-fishing-gear-and-teeming-with-life-180989139/The vessel "Quest," found in 2024 off the coast of northeastern Canada, has become a home for corals, anemones and fish. It also holds the leftovers from decades of commercial fishing that happened above it after it sankFri, 17 Jul 2026 16:26:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-close-up-images-reveal-the-wreckage-of-ernest-shackletons-last-ship-now-draped-in-discarded-fishing-gear-and-teeming-with-life-180989139/