The previous record low was minus 89.2 degrees Celsius and was documented in 1983 at the Russian Vostok Research Station in East Antarctica.
However, it won't be in the Guinness Book of World Records because these were satellite measured, not from thermometers, Ice scientist Ted Scambos said.
The super-cold temperatures occur when air is caught and held for a while. If the skies are clear for a few days, the ground radiates remaining heat into space, creating a layer of super-chilled air above the snow.
The temperatures are about 10 degrees Celsius colder than anything recorded in Alaska or Siberia.
This research grew out of studies of snow dunes. Scientists noticed cracks in the snow and wondered if the top layer of snow was shrinking.
MNA
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