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The East Antarctic ice sheet may be at the end of the Earth, says geophysicist Donald Blankenship, but it’s much more important than its distance implies. Hear Blankenship talk about his concern over melting ice sheets.

The robot sub being tested now in Antarctica might someday be used to find signs of life on other worlds. For example, Jupiter’s moon Europa might harbor life swimming in an ocean covered by ice.

It’s “a pretty important story to know about,” said atmospheric scientist Jennifer Kay – that’s the story of how natural changes in weather affects the rate of sea ice melting. Kay’s research shows that more Arctic sea ice melts when skies are clear and sunny. Why is it an important story? Because, said Kay, sea ice is “one of the most visible manifestations of climate change.”

Mysterious microbes might be lurking beneath Antarctica’s ice sheets. Oceanographer Chuck Kennicutt is interested in how organisms would make a living out of these cold, dark environments, and believes that the discovery and analysis of such microbes could shed light on how life evolved on our planet.

Scientists are working to confirm the predictions of climate models, and the results aren’t always as expected. For example, the models suggest that global warming means more snowfall near Earth’s poles. That extra snowfall could slow sea level rise, as more water stays in the ice sheets.

Will Steger began his career as a polar explorer by traveling unsupported thousands of kilometers across the polar regions by dog sled. Today’s explorers no longer have to head off alone into uncharted territory. In many ways, they can bring the modern world along with them, according to Steger.