Coldest place on Earth can become even colder

London, January 8 (ANI): Reports indicate that the coldest place on Earth, that is, Vostok Station in Antarctica, can become even colder.

Vostok Station in Antarctica currently holds the crown for the coldest place on the planet.

It recorded -89.2 degree Celsius on 21 July, 1983.

But, according to a report in New Scientist, it could get even colder, with temperatures dropping to about -96 degrees C, if "perfect" cold-weather conditions prevail.

John Turner of the British Antarctic Survey and colleagues analysed the weather conditions that brought about the record chill and found it was caused by an unusual, near-stationary atmospheric vortex.

"This isolated Vostok and prevented the waves of warm air that normally come up from the ocean," said Turner.

After that big chill, the temperature bounced up by over 20 degrees C in one day.

If the wind speed were lower and a similar vortex centred on Vostok, Turner reckons that the temperature could drop by a further 6 degrees C or so. (ANI)