Unexpected Discovery in Antarctica

A keen eye and a bit of luck help scientists find something deep in the ice

(Inside Science) -- The Antarctic is cold, windy, dry and roughly twice the size of Australia. The average annual temperature ranges from about 14 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 10 C) to minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 60 C). There are currently 70 permanent research stations scattered across the continent of Antarctica, giving researchers many opportunities for scientific discoveries. Huw Griffiths is a marine biogeographer who spotted something by pure luck when geologists who were drilling through ice about one-half mile thick hit a boulder and caught something unexpected on camera.