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The frozen continent

July 25, 2009

In Antarctica, fierce winds blow plumes of snow out to sea and erase most of the 400 mile long Ross Ice Shelf from view. As global climate warms, polar researchers are finding windier days and snowier storms at Cape Crozier. This is partly because warm air holds more moisture than cold — the extra moisture turns into more snow when the air finally cools over Antarctica.

(Photo by Chris Linder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)