December 1 marks Antarctica Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959. For over 60 years, Earth’s most remote continent and surrounding seas have served as the site for deep international cooperation and essential research into the many systems that influence life on our planet. Antarctic and Southern Ocean research gives innumerable insights into global patterns and changes, and gives us a better understanding of the fragile balance underpinning life.  

Antarctica serves as a time machine for scientists, allowing them to explore Earth’s past climates, understand the forces that shape today’s climate, and predict what changes to the continent — and globally — will affect the future. Ice cores drilled from deep within the 2-mile-thick ice sheets that blanket nearly all of Antarctica contain frozen air bubbles that show snapshots of the atmosphere tens of thousands of years ago. The bone-chilling waters encircling the continent drive circulation patterns across global oceans, allowing for the exchange of heat and carbon dioxide. Antarctica’s ice sheets contain 70% of Earth’s freshwater, so researchers monitor them closely to estimate how their melting will raise sea levels around the globe.  

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are full of life and opportunities found nowhere else on the planet. The unique organisms that thrive there have tremendous potential to transform medicine and ecology — for example, some scientists believe understanding their biology could uncover new compounds to fight cancer or antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Likewise, observing how climate change affects these remote ecosystems and food chains can inform efforts to make our own food supply more resilient. And even scientists looking beyond our planet rely on work in Antarctica — cold, clear skies and long, dark nights make Antarctica an unparalleled vantage point for astronomers viewing our Universe. 

Thanks to the Antarctic Treaty, the continent acts as a laboratory for mutual, international collaboration. No military presence, no commercial mining, and no nuclear explosions — these main Treaty stipulations have ensured Antarctica’s status as a resource for all humanity. Many key discoveries have only been possible with the combined efforts of the international community, including efforts to recreate the history of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and explore the continent’s mountain ranges. The U.S. has been a leader on these efforts because of the U.S. Antarctic Program, which aims to advance science, uphold the Treaty, and foster cooperative research.  

As climate change reshapes Earth’s systems, it’s more important than ever chart a clear path for the future of research on the Antarctic continent and its surrounding waters. A recent National Academies report laid out the three highest-priority science drivers for Antarctic research: sea level rise, global heat and carbon budgets, and changing ecosystems. Antarctica and Southern Ocean research is the linchpin in our scientific understanding of our changing planet, and the ecosystems in this region are bellwethers for how environmental change will affect life in the U.S., and around the globe. As the U.S. and other nations continue working to address climate change, Antarctic research will continue to be an invaluable source of fundamental insights into our world and our Universe. Antarctica is an icy mirror that reflects the challenges our world faces — and the boundless potential of the future.  

Keep up with our ongoing and future work on Antarctic and Southern Ocean research by subscribing to email updates from the National Academies’ Polar Research Board. 

Related Resources

• Next Generation Earth Systems Science at the National Science Foundation  (2022) 

• Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop  (2022) 

• Mid-Term Assessment of Progress on the 2015 Strategic Vision for Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research  (2021) 

• Identifying New Community-Driven Science Themes for NSF's Support of Paleoclimate Research: Proceedings of a Workshop  (2021) 

• A Vision for NSF Earth Sciences 2020-2030: Earth in Time  (2020) 

• Antarctic Sea Ice Variability in the Southern Ocean-Climate System: Proceedings of a Workshop  (2017) 

• A Strategic Vision for NSF Investments in Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research  (2015) 

• Sea Change: 2015-2025 Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences  (2015)