As the world rang in 2026, scientists in Antarctica did something many of us might think would be impossible: they moved the South Pole.
When we envision the South Pole, we tend to think of a fixed point on Earth. But it is more fluid than you might suppose. For starters, the geographic South Pole is situated at the southern tip of Earth’s axis, pretty much right in the middle of Antarctica. But this place on our planet does not coincide with Earth’s magnetic or geomagnetic South Poles—those are related to the planet’s magnetic field and are located on the Adélie Coast and near Russia’s Vostok Station, respectively. Because Earth’s magnetic field changes along with shifts in the planet’s core, both of these poles are constantly moving.
What the scientists did wasn’t related to the magnetic field, however. They moved the marker stuck in the ice above the geographic South Pole. Technically, this pole doesn’t move. But the marker must: the ice flows about 10 meters a year, so every year, it needs to be put back.
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The Antarctic ice sheet is essentially a very slow-moving frozen river, with ice flowing from the middle of Antarctica out to sea. Warming ocean waters that are lapping away at the ice on the continent’s coast are destabilizing some glaciers; if they collapse, they could significantly raise global sea levels.
This year staff from the U.S. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station held the New Year’s ceremony, complete with a stuffed penguin, bagpipes and a newly unveiled marker.