With MyOcean's 3D model forecasts, it is possible to predict the trajectory of particles (red dots) initially positioned near the Fukushima power plant (green square). Understanding how the radioactive pollution is driven by local ocean turbulence and the Kuroshio Current (background image) is important for identifying critical areas for the fishery industry. Credits: MyOcean/Mercator-Ocean

Jamie Ward, a carpenter from Scotland, works to restore the exterior of the Terra Nova expedition hut at Cape Evans. It was from here that Capt. Robert F. Scott and his companions launched their bid to be the first people at the South Pole 100 years ago. Photo Credit: Peter Rejcek

In mid-October 2011, NASA scientists working in Antarctica discovered a massive crack across the Pine Island Glacier, a major ice stream that drains the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Extending for 19 miles (30 kilometers), the crack was 260 feet (80 meters) wide and 195 feet (60 meters) deep. Eventually, the crack will extend all the way across the glacier, and calve a giant iceberg that will cover about 350 square miles (900 square kilometers). This image from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NAS's Terra spacecraft was acquired Nov. 13, 2011, and covers an area of 27 by 32 miles (44 by 52 kilometers), and is located near 74.9 degrees south latitude, 101.1 degrees west longitude. Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team Images

A team of four British engineers has returned to the UK after completing a gruelling journey to one of the most remote and hostile locations on the planet to put in place equipment and supplies for an ambitious project later this year. Enduring temperatures of minus 35*C the Subglacial Lake Ellsworth 'Advance Party' has successfully paved the way to explore an ancient lake buried beneath 3 km of Antarctic ice.

By Peter Rejcek, Antarctic Sun Editor: A rare white Christmas at the South Pole brought with it a record-breaking heat wave -- at least for a day. The temperature officially hit 9.9 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 12.3 degrees Celsius) about 3:50 p.m. on Dec. 25, according to South Pole Station External U.S. government site senior meteorologist Phillip Marzette. That shattered the old record of 7.5F (minus 13.6C) set on Dec. 27, 1978.

Dale Andersen: My tent (also the dive tent) in the video was about 300 m from this site. It was a bit hard locating spots suitable for tents on the shore so I had to move down shore a bit. The large Mountain Hardware Stronghold tent served as our communal tent for cooking, warming up etc. The two Mountain Hardware Satellite 6 tents on the left were lab tents and the pyramid tents were for sleeping.

The end of December marks the end of spring and beginning of summer along the coast of East Antarctica. The Sun shines most (if not all) of the time, yet ice still dominates the land and sea. That ice, however, is far from uniform.