SCIENTISTS have found the coldest places on Earth along an Antarctic mountain ridge, where the midwinter temperature plummets to below –91C.

The newly discovered spots are even chillier than Russia’s Vostok research station, where the world’s previous coldest air temperature of –89.2C was recorded in 1983.

The temperature is far below the points at which any CO2 in the air should turn from a gas into a solid (–78.5C). Any human venturing out in it would probably find their eyes, nose and lungs beginning to freeze within minutes.

The discovery was made by researchers from America’s National Snow and Ice Data Centre using satellite surveys of Antarctica and other techniques.

Full details will be revealed at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting this week but