Antarctica

Being the top U.S. diplomat means a lot of global travel — roughly a million miles and 100 countries these days. Yet Kerry is the first to see Antarctica and all seven continents.

At 600,000 square miles, the sanctuary covers an area twice the size of Texas and is known as polar "Garden of Eden." This unanimous agreement is the result of years of negotiations.

Researchers say the ice is melting more quickly than they've ever seen. They think it's because warm water is circulating under the ice shelf, and that the melting process appears to be irreversible.

Henry Worsley, 55, traveled more than 900 miles across the Antarctic, attempting a solo trek that would also boost a British charity that aids wounded veterans.

What's left of the Larsen B shelf, two-thirds of which underwent a spectacular collapse in 2002, will disappear by the end of the decade, according to a new study.

For Dr. Gavin Francis, Christmas Eve marked the start of a year-long stay in an icy research base 8,700 miles from home. In this "empire of ice and isolation," he says, food is essential to morale.