At the surface of the planet, sea ice across Arctic waters grows and shrinks seasonally, usually reaching its annual maximum in March. In 2026, this peak occurred on March 15, when the measurement reached 14.29 million square kilometers, which is the lowest level observed since satellite monitoring began in 1979. One of the important areas … Read more
Summer is a busy season at Schirmacher Oasis, an ice-free rocky outcrop on Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica. It is near the base of the Nivlisen Ice Shelf and about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the open waters of the Lazarev Sea, the country’s “oasis” in the middle of a continuous glacier is home to … Read more
Spawning season has begun for Pacific herring (A group of pallas) in the waters of British Columbia, Canada. From mid-February to early May each year, thousands of small silver fish congregate in the shallows off the coast of Vancouver Island and create a spectacle that can sometimes be seen by satellites. The sheltered waters of … Read more