On a map, Antarctica reads like the final frontier, a place where the rules of the natural world work a little differently. The idea that an entire continent covered in ice qualifies as a desert doesn ...

The glacial meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs), Antarctica only flow during the austral summer and contain abundant algal mats which grow at the onset of flow. The algal abundance in ...

When most people hear the word "desert," they imagine dunes, scorching winds, and unbearable heat. Images of the Sahara or the Arabian Desert often come to mind. Travel advice usually includes ...

Winter in Antarctica is long and dark. Temperatures remain well below freezing. In many places, the Sun sets in April and does not rise above the horizon again until August. Without sunlight, ...