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High-resolution in situ observations of electron precipitation-causing EMIC waves
28 November, 2015 by Mark Clilverd
Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves are thought to be important drivers of energetic electron losses from the outer radiation belt through precipitation into the atmosphere. While the theoretical possibility of…Read more on High-resolution in situ observations of electron precipitation-causing EMIC waves
Introduction to special issue on “Long-term changes and trends in the stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and ionosphere”
27 November, 2015 by Ingrid Cnossen
This special issue bundles some of the latest results on decadal-scale variations in the stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and ionosphere, following on from the 8th Workshop on Long-Term Changes and Trends…Considering Non-Open Access Publication Charges in the “Total Cost of Publication”
18 November, 2015 by Andrew Gray
Recent research has tried to calculate the "total cost of publication" in the British academic sector, bringing together the costs of journal subscriptions, the article processing charges (APCs) paid to…Read more on Considering Non-Open Access Publication Charges in the “Total Cost of Publication”
Climate change and glacier retreat drive shifts in an Antarctic benthic ecosystem
13 November, 2015 by David Barnes
The Antarctic Peninsula (AP) is one of the three places on Earth that registered the most intense warming in the last 50 years, almost five times the global mean. This…Read more on Climate change and glacier retreat drive shifts in an Antarctic benthic ecosystem
Feedbacks on climate in the Earth system: introduction
13 November, 2015 by Emily Shuckburgh
In the last century, the Earth has undergone a very fast and unusual change in the radiative forcing of its climate, resulting from human actions. This change in forcing has…Read more on Feedbacks on climate in the Earth system: introduction
Comparative roles of upwelling and glacial iron sources in Ryder Bay, coastal western Antarctic Peninsula
1 November, 2015 by Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith
Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for phytoplankton, and is scarce in many regions including the open Southern Ocean. The western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), an important source region of Fe…Aspects of resilience of polar sea ice algae to changes in their environment
1 November, 2015 by Peter Convey
Sea ice algae are primary producers of the ice-covered oceans in both polar regions. Changes in sea ice distribution are potentially altering exposure to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and ultraviolet-B…Read more on Aspects of resilience of polar sea ice algae to changes in their environment
Individual migration patterns of Eurasian golden ploversPluvialis apricariabreeding in Swedish Lapland; examples of cold spell-induced winter movements
1 November, 2015
Tracking studies normally focus on long-distance migrants, meaning that our understanding about short-distance migration remains limited. In this study, we present the first individual tracks of the Eurasian golden plover…Autochthonous vs. accreted terrane development of continental margins: a revised in situ tectonic history of the Antarctic Peninsula
1 November, 2015 by Alex Burton-Johnson, Teal Riley
The allochthonous terrane accretion model previously proposed for the geological development of the Antarctic Peninsula continental margin arc is reviewed in light of recent data and the geology is reinterpreted…Contrasting responses of male and female foraging effort to year-round wind conditions
1 November, 2015 by Richard Phillips
1. There is growing interest in the effects of wind on wild animals, given evidence that wind speeds are increasing and becoming more variable in some regions, particularly at temperate…Read more on Contrasting responses of male and female foraging effort to year-round wind conditions
Extensive MIS 3 glaciation in southernmost Patagonia revealed by cosmogenic nuclide dating of outwash sediments
1 November, 2015 by Christopher Darvill
The timing and extent of former glacial advances can demonstrate leads and lags during periods of climatic change and their forcing, but this requires robust glacial chronologies. In parts of…Sensitivity of Southern Ocean circulation to wind stress changes: Role of relative wind stress
1 November, 2015 by Dave Munday
The influence of different wind stress bulk formulae on the response of the Southern Ocean circulation to wind stress changes is investigated using an idealised channel model. Surface/mixed layer properties…Do krill fisheries compete with macaroni penguins? Spatial overlap in prey consumption and catches during winter
1 November, 2015 by Catharine Horswill, Iain Staniland, Norman Ratcliffe, Philip Trathan, Simeon Hill, Stacey Adlard
Aim To infer the potential for competition between an important Antarctic predator, the macaroni penguin, and the krill fishery by examining the spatial overlap in prey consumption and catches. Location…Comparing trends in the Southern Annular Mode and surface westerly jet
1 November, 2015 by Gareth Marshall
We examine trends in the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), and the strength, position and width of the Southern Hemisphere surface westerly wind jet in observations, reanalyses and the Coupled Model…Read more on Comparing trends in the Southern Annular Mode and surface westerly jet
Antarctic ice rises and rumples: their properties and significance for ice-sheet dynamics and evolution
1 November, 2015 by Carlos Martin Garcia, Hamish Pritchard, Jonathan Kingslake, Keith Nicholls, Richard Hindmarsh, Robert Mulvaney, Richard Hindmarsh
Locally grounded features in ice shelves, called ice rises and rumples, play a key role buttressing discharge from the Antarctic Ice Sheet and regulating its contribution to sea level. Ice…A tribute to Michael R. Raupach for contributions to aeolian fluid dynamics
1 November, 2015 by Hua Lu
Since the pioneering work of Bagnold in the 1940s, aeolian research has grown to become an integral part of earth-system science. Many individuals have contributed to this development, and Dr.…Read more on A tribute to Michael R. Raupach for contributions to aeolian fluid dynamics
Antarctic bdelloid rotifers: diversity, endemism and evolution
1 November, 2015 by Peter Convey
Antarctica is an isolated continent whose conditions challenge the survival of living organisms. High levels of endemism are now known in many Antarctic organisms, including algae, tardigrades, nematodes and microarthropods.…Read more on Antarctic bdelloid rotifers: diversity, endemism and evolution
Rock comminution as a source of hydrogen for subglacial ecosystems
1 November, 2015 by Dominic Hodgson
Substantial parts of the beds of glaciers, ice sheets and ice caps are at the pressure melting point1. The resulting water harbours diverse subglacial microbial ecosystems2, 3 capable of affecting…Read more on Rock comminution as a source of hydrogen for subglacial ecosystems
Modelling ice dynamic contributions to sea level rise from the Antarctic Peninsula
1 November, 2015
The future ice dynamical contribution to sea-level rise (SLR) from 210 ice shelf nourishing drainage basins of the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet (APIS) is simulated, using the British Antarctic Survey…Read more on Modelling ice dynamic contributions to sea level rise from the Antarctic Peninsula
Föhn winds on South Georgia and their impacts on regional climate
1 November, 2015 by Daniel Bannister, John King
Average summer temperatures over South Georgia have risen by 1°C along with an increase in the rate of glacial retreat since the 1920s. Glaciers on the northeast of the island…Read more on Föhn winds on South Georgia and their impacts on regional climate
Marine ecology: a wonderland of marine activity in the Arctic night
1 November, 2015 by Geraint Tarling
Studies carried out on a wide variety of Arctic species during the polar night reveal continued feeding, growth and reproduction, changing our view of this period from one of biological…Read more on Marine ecology: a wonderland of marine activity in the Arctic night
A ground-based radar for measuring vertical strain rates and time-varying basal melt rates in ice sheets and shelves
1 November, 2015 by David Vaughan, Hugh Corr, Keith Nicholls
The ApRES (autonomous phase-sensitive radio-echo sounder) instrument is a robust, lightweight and relatively inexpensive radar that has been designed to allow long-term, unattended monitoring of ice-shelf and ice-sheet thinning. We…An illustrated and annotated checklist of freshwater diatoms (Bacillariophyta) from Livingston, Signy and Beak Island (Maritime Antarctic Region)
1 November, 2015 by Dominic Hodgson
Background and aims – Non-marine diatom communities in the Antarctic Region are characterized by a typical species composition, dominated by a large number of Antarctic endemic species. Despite recent advances…Air-snow transfer of nitrate on the East Antarctic plateau – Part 2: An isotopic model for the interpretation of deep ice-core records
30 October, 2015 by Markus Frey
Unraveling the modern budget of reactive nitrogen on the Antarctic plateau is critical for the interpretation of ice core records of nitrate. This requires accounting for nitrate recycling processes occurring…Observational evidence of the influence of Antarctic stratospheric ozone variability on middle atmosphere dynamics
16 October, 2015 by Andrew Kavanagh
Modeling results have suggested that the circulation of the stratosphere and mesosphere in spring is strongly affected by the perturbations in heating induced by the Antarctic ozone hole. Here using…Substorm-induced energetic electron precipitation: Impact on atmospheric chemistry
16 October, 2015 by David Newnham, Mark Clilverd
Magnetospheric substorms drive energetic electron precipitation into the Earth's atmosphere. We use the output from a substorm model to describe electron precipitation forcing of the atmosphere during an active substorm…Read more on Substorm-induced energetic electron precipitation: Impact on atmospheric chemistry
Föhn winds on South Georgia and their impact on regional climate
13 October, 2015 by Daniel Bannister
South Georgia is a small and mountainous island, located in the remote Southern Ocean. The island’s subantarctic climate is controlled by its location and steep orography; with 19 peaks over…Read more on Föhn winds on South Georgia and their impact on regional climate
Mapping lichen distribution on the Antarctic Peninsula using remote sensing, lichen spectra and photographic documentation by citizen scientists
4 October, 2015 by Martin Black, Peter Convey, Peter Fretwell
On the Antarctic Peninsula, lichens are the most diverse botanical component of the terrestrial ecosystem. However, detailed information on the distribution of lichens on the Antarctic Peninsula region is scarce,…Seabird colony effects on soil properties and vegetation zonation patterns on King George Island, Maritime Antarctic
1 October, 2015 by Peter Convey
Seabirds are among the most important vectors transferring biogenic compounds from the sea onto land in the polar regions and, consequently, influencing the properties of soil and vegetation. We studied…A new continuous planar fit method for calculating fluxes in complex, forested terrain
1 October, 2015 by Rosey Grant
The planar fit (PF) method is often recommended for long-term eddy covariance flux measurements because it offers a number of advantages over rotating into streamwise coordinates. For sites over complex,…Read more on A new continuous planar fit method for calculating fluxes in complex, forested terrain
Pattern of non-breeding movements by Stone-curlews Burhinus oedicnemus breeding in Northern Italy
1 October, 2015
The identification of year-round geographical ranges and the quantification of the degree of migratory connectivity are fundamental to the successful conservation of migratory bird populations. The Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus is…Small-scale deformation of an Arctic sea ice floe detected by GPS and satellite imagery
1 October, 2015 by Jeremy Wilkinson
Small-scale (~100 to 200 m) deformations of an Arctic sea ice floe were detected from multiple GPS-equipped buoys that were deployed on the same ice floe. Over a nine-month period…Read more on Small-scale deformation of an Arctic sea ice floe detected by GPS and satellite imagery
South Georgia and the Southern Ocean
1 October, 2015
So, what does a doctor on a Sub-Antarctic research station do with only 11 young and fit people as potential patients? I get asked that a lot and I’ll endeavour…On the reconstruction of palaeo-ice sheets: Recent advances and future challenges
1 October, 2015 by Richard Hindmarsh, Richard Hindmarsh
Reconstructing the growth and decay of palaeo-ice sheets is critical to understanding mechanisms of global climate change and associated sea-level fluctuations in the past, present and future. The significance of…Read more on On the reconstruction of palaeo-ice sheets: Recent advances and future challenges
Manual mapping of drumlins in synthetic landscapes to assess operator effectiveness
1 October, 2015 by Kelly Hogan
Mapped topographic features are important for understanding processes that sculpt the Earth's surface. This paper presents maps that are the primary product of an exercise that brought together 27 researchers…Read more on Manual mapping of drumlins in synthetic landscapes to assess operator effectiveness
Model sensitivity of the Weddell and Ross seas, Antarctica, to vertical mixing and freshwater forcing
1 October, 2015 by Gareth Marshall, Paul Holland, Pierre Mathiot, Joakim Kjellsson
We examine the sensitivity of the Weddell and Ross seas to vertical mixing and surface freshwater forcing using an ocean–sea ice model. The high latitude Southern Ocean is very weakly…Uplift rates from a new high-density GPS network in Palmer Land indicate significant late Holocene ice loss in the southwestern Weddell Sea
1 October, 2015 by Ed King
The measurement of ongoing ice-mass loss and associated melt water contribution to sea-level change from regions such as West Antarctica is dependent on a combination of remote sensing methods. A…A new genus of large hydrothermal vent-endemic gastropod (Neomphalina: Peltospiridae)
1 October, 2015 by Katrin Linse
Recently discovered hydrothermal vent fields on the East Scotia Ridge (ESR, 56–60°S, 30°W), Southern Ocean, and the South West Indian Ridge (SWIR, 37°S 49°E), Indian Ocean, host two closely related…Read more on A new genus of large hydrothermal vent-endemic gastropod (Neomphalina: Peltospiridae)
Trophodynamics of Protomyctophum (Myctophidae) in the Scotia Sea (Southern Ocean)
1 October, 2015 by Geraint Tarling, Gabriele Stowasser, Peter Ward, Ryan Saunders
This study investigated spatial and temporal patterns in distribution, population structure and diet of Bolin's lanternfish Protomyctophum bolini, Tenison's lanternfish Protomyctophum tenisoni and gaptooth lanternfish Protomyctophum choriodon in the Scotia…Read more on Trophodynamics of Protomyctophum (Myctophidae) in the Scotia Sea (Southern Ocean)
Exploring the use of transformation group priors and the method of maximum relative entropy for Bayesian glaciological inversions
1 October, 2015 by Robert Arthern
Ice-sheet models can be used to forecast ice losses from Antarctica and Greenland, but to fully quantify the risks associated with sea-level rise, probabilistic forecasts are needed. These require estimates…Inferred support for disturbance-recovery hypothesis of North Atlantic phytoplankton blooms
1 October, 2015 by Eugene Murphy
Analyses of satellite-derived chlorophyll data indicate that the phase of rapid phytoplankton population growth in the North Atlantic (the ‘spring bloom') is actually initiated in the winter rather than the…A strong wind event on the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica: A case study of scale interactions
1 October, 2015 by John Turner
In situ observations, satellite imagery, numerical weather prediction, and reanalysis fields are used to investigate the synoptic and mesoscale environment of a strong wind event (SWE) at McMurdo Station/Ross Island…Disentangling the cause of a catastrophic population decline in a large marine mammal
1 October, 2015 by Iain Staniland
Considerable uncertainties often surround the causes of long-term changes in population abundance. One striking example is the precipitous decline of southern sea lions (SSL; Otaria flavescens) at the Falkland Islands,…Read more on Disentangling the cause of a catastrophic population decline in a large marine mammal
Seismic reflection imaging of mixing processes in Fram Strait
1 October, 2015 by Alexander Brearley
The West Spitsbergen Current, which flows northward along the western Svalbard continental slope, transports warm and saline Atlantic water (AW) into the Arctic Ocean. A combined analysis of high-resolution seismic…Read more on Seismic reflection imaging of mixing processes in Fram Strait
Images as proximity sensors: the incidence of conspecific foraging in Antarctic fur seals
29 September, 2015 by Iain Staniland
Background Although there have been recent advances in the development of animal-attached ‘proximity’ tags to remotely record the interactions of multiple individuals, the efficacy of these devices depends on the…Designing and implementing an assay for the detection of rare and divergent NRPS and PKS clones in European, Antarctic and Cuban soils
23 September, 2015 by Kevin Newsham
The ever increasing microbial resistome means there is an urgent need for new antibiotics. Metagenomics is an underexploited tool in the field of drug discovery. In this study we aimed…Antarctic sea ice losses drive gains in benthic carbon drawdown
21 September, 2015 by David Barnes
Climate forcing of sea-ice losses from the Arctic and West Antarctic are blueing the poles. These losses are accelerating, reducing Earth’s albedo and increasing heat absorption [1]. Subarctic forest (area…Read more on Antarctic sea ice losses drive gains in benthic carbon drawdown
Palaeo-ice stream pathways and retreat style in the easternmost Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica, revealed by combined multibeam bathymetric and seismic data
15 September, 2015 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, James Smith, Robert Larter
Multibeam swath bathymetry data sets collected over the past two decades have been compiled to identify palaeo-ice stream pathways in the easternmost Amundsen Sea Embayment. We mapped ~ 3000 glacial…Emerging spatial patterns in Antarctic prokaryotes
14 September, 2015 by David Pearce, Peter Convey
Recent advances in knowledge of patterns of biogeography in terrestrial eukaryotic organisms have led to a fundamental paradigm shift in understanding of the controls and history of life on land…Read more on Emerging spatial patterns in Antarctic prokaryotes
Biogeography of photoautotrophs in the high polar biome
11 September, 2015 by Peter Convey
The global latitudinal gradient in biodiversity weakens in the high polar biome and so an alternative explanation for distribution of Arctic and Antarctic photoautotrophs is required. Here we identify how…Read more on Biogeography of photoautotrophs in the high polar biome
Feathers as a tool to assess mercury contamination in gentoo penguins: Variations at the individual level
9 September, 2015 by Norman Ratcliffe, Philip Trathan
Feathers have been widely used to assess mercury contamination in birds as they reflect metal concentrations accumulated between successive moult periods: they are also easy to sample and have minimum…Chemical fingerprints encode mother-offspring similarity, colony membership, relatedness and genetic quality in fur seals
8 September, 2015 by Jaume Forcada
Chemical communication underpins virtually all aspects of vertebrate social life, yet remains poorly understood because of its highly complex mechanistic basis. We therefore used chemical fingerprinting of skin swabs and…Modelling ice-ocean interactions in and around ice shelves
7 September, 2015 by James Jordan
Physical processes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are of great importance to the global climate system. This thesis considers two such processes, namely ice-ocean interaction in ice shelf basal…Read more on Modelling ice-ocean interactions in and around ice shelves
Differential acquisition of amino acid and peptide enantiomers within the soil microbial community and its implications for carbon and nitrogen cycling in soil
1 September, 2015 by Kevin Newsham
l-isomeric amino acids and oligopeptides are thought to represent a key nitrogen (N) source for plants and soil microorganisms, bypassing the need to take up inorganic N, whilst self-cycling of…Crystallisation temperatures of the most Mg-rich magmas of the Karoo LIP on the basis of Al-in-olivine thermometer
1 September, 2015 by Teal Riley
Calculating reliable temperatures of Mg-rich magmas is problematic because melt composition and KD(Fe-Mg)ol-liq, the key parameters of many traditional thermometers, are difficult to constrain precisely. The recently developed Al-in-olivine thermometer…The vertical shape of a buoyant acoustic streamer between depth control units
1 September, 2015
When conducting marine seismic surveys it is important to know the vertical profile of the seismic streamer. Typically the streamer has a density that is different from the seawater; therefore…Read more on The vertical shape of a buoyant acoustic streamer between depth control units
European and Mediterranean mercury modelling: local and long-range contributions to the deposition flux
1 September, 2015 by Xin Yang
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that is known to have adverse effects on human health, and most human exposure to toxic methylmercury is through fish consumption. Soluble Hg compounds…Key metabolic pathways involved in xenobiotic biotransformation and stress responses revealed by transcriptomics of the mangrove oyster Crassostrea brasiliana
1 September, 2015 by Michael Thorne, Melody Clark
The Brazilian oyster Crassostrea brasiliana was challenged to three common environmental contaminants: phenanthrene, diesel fuel water-accommodated fraction (WAF) and domestic sewage. Total RNA was extracted from the gill and digestive…Leapfrog migration and habitat preferences of a small oceanic seabird, Bulwer’s petrel (Bulweria bulwerii)
1 September, 2015 by Richard Phillips
Aim Our current understanding of migratory strategies and the reasons for their high variability along the phylogenetic tree remains relatively poor. Most of the hypotheses relating to migration have been…Winter use of sea ice and ocean water-mass habitat by southern elephant seals: The length and breadth of the mystery
1 September, 2015 by Jean-Baptiste Sallee
Understanding the responses of animals to the environment is crucial for identifying critical foraging habitat. Elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) from the Kerguelen Islands (49° 20’ S, 70° 20’ E) have…Limited genetic differentiation among chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) colonies in the Scotia Arc and Western Antarctic Peninsula
1 September, 2015 by Michael Dunn
Long-term monitoring of seabird numbers around Antarctica has revealed that the chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) is largely declining throughout its range in the Scotia Arc. Whether archipelagos across this large…Comparative analysis of Deschampsia antarctica Desv. population adaptability in the natural environment of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, maritime Antarctic)
1 September, 2015 by Peter Convey
Plants inhabiting extreme environments may possess features allowing them to tolerate sudden abrupt changes in their environment, a phenomenon often known as ‘adaptability.’ However, ability or success in developing adaptability…Vertical flow in the Southern Ocean estimated from individual moorings
1 September, 2015 by Alexander Brearley
In this study, we demonstrate that oceanic vertical velocities can be estimated from individual mooring measurements, even for non-stationary flow. This result is obtained under three assumptions: i. weak diffusion…Read more on Vertical flow in the Southern Ocean estimated from individual moorings
A protocol for the aerial survey of penguin colonies using UAVs
1 September, 2015 by Damien Guihen, Jeremy Robst, Norman Ratcliffe, Peter Enderlein
Penguins, and many other seabirds, often nest in the open in large colonies, and so are amenable to aerial survey. UAVs offer a flexible and inexpensive method of achieving this…Read more on A protocol for the aerial survey of penguin colonies using UAVs
Mercury accumulation in gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua: spatial, temporal and sexual intraspecific variations
1 September, 2015 by Norman Ratcliffe, Philip Trathan
Mercury emissions have increased over the past decades affecting even remote areas such as Antarctica. As gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) breed on many of the islands surrounding Antarctica, foraging close…Evolutionary factors affecting the cross-species utility of newly developed microsatellite markers in seabirds
1 September, 2015 by Richard Phillips
Microsatellite loci are ideal for testing hypotheses relating to genetic segregation at fine spatio-temporal scales. They are also conserved among closely related species, making them potentially useful for clarifying interspecific…An examination of the relationship between the Southern Annular Mode and Antarctic surface air temperatures in the CMIP5 historical runs
1 September, 2015 by Gareth Marshall, Thomas Bracegirdle
Strong relationships exist between the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and surface air temperature (SAT) across much of Antarctica. Changes in the SAM will have a profound influence on future Antarctic…The molecular evolution of spiggin nesting glue in sticklebacks
1 September, 2015 by Will Goodall-Copestake
Gene duplication and subsequent divergence can lead to the evolution of new functions and lineage specific traits. In sticklebacks, the successive duplication of the mucin-like gene (MUC19) into a tandemly-arrayed,…Read more on The molecular evolution of spiggin nesting glue in sticklebacks
Contrasting patterns in lichen diversity in the continental and maritime Antarctic
1 September, 2015 by Peter Convey
Systematic surveys of the lichen floras of Schirmacher Oasis (Queen Maud Land, continental Antarctic), Victoria Land (Ross Sector, continental Antarctic) and Admiralty Bay (South Shetland Islands, maritime Antarctic) were compared…Read more on Contrasting patterns in lichen diversity in the continental and maritime Antarctic
Assimilation of sea surface temperature, sea ice concentration and sea ice drift in a model of the Southern Ocean
1 September, 2015 by Pierre Mathiot
Current ocean models have relatively large errors and biases in the Southern Ocean. The aim of this study is to provide a reanalysis from 1985 to 2006 assimilating sea surface…Airborne radar evidence for tributary flow switching in Institute Ice Stream, West Antarctica: implications for ice sheet configuration and dynamics
1 September, 2015 by Hugh Corr
Despite the importance of ice streaming to the evaluation of West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) stability we know little about mid- to long-term dynamic changes within the Institute Ice Stream…Millennial changes in North American wildfire and soil activity over the last glacial cycle
1 September, 2015 by Robert Mulvaney
Climate changes in the North Atlantic region during the last glacial cycle were dominated by the slow waxing and waning of the North American ice sheet as well as by…Assessing the design and power of capture-recapture studies to estimate demographic parameters for the Endangered Oceania humpback whale population
1 September, 2015 by Jennifer Jackson
Capture-recapture studies offer a powerful tool to assess abundance, survival and population rate of change (λ). A previous capture-recapture study, based on DNA profiles, estimated that the IUCN-listed Endangered Oceania…Glacial melt under a porous debris layer
1 September, 2015 by Jonathan Kingslake
In this paper we undertake a quantitative analysis of the dynamic process by which ice underneath a dry porous debris layer melts. We show that the incorporation of debris-layer airflow…Mapping the ice-bed interface characteristics of Rutford Ice Stream, West Antarctica, using microseismicity
1 September, 2015 by Alex Brisbourne, Andy Smith, Emma Smith, Hamish Pritchard
Flow dynamics of the ice streams that drain the Antarctic Ice Sheet are heavily influenced by processes at the bed. Natural seismic activity generated beneath an ice stream is associated…Temporal variations in the flow of a large Antarctic ice stream controlled by tidally induced changes in the subglacial water system
21 August, 2015 by Hilmar Gudmundsson, Sebastian Rosier
Observations show that the flow of Rutford Ice Stream (RIS) is strongly modulated by the ocean tides, with the strongest tidal response at the 14.77 day tidal period (Msf). This…Status of known non-native species introductions and impacts (updated)
21 August, 2015 by Kevin Hughes
Antarctic biodiversity and ecosystems are under threat from introduced non-native species. Currently the Antarctic Peninsula and off shore islands are the most invaded areas. Invasions are likely to increase, facilitated…Read more on Status of known non-native species introductions and impacts (updated)
Retrieving the paleoclimactic signal from the deeper part of the EPICA Dome C ice core?
20 August, 2015 by Eric Wolff
An important share of paleoclimatic information is buried within the lowermost layers of deep ice cores. Because improving our records further back in time is one of the main challenges…Read more on Retrieving the paleoclimactic signal from the deeper part of the EPICA Dome C ice core?
Century-scale simulations of the response of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to a warming climate
18 August, 2015 by David Vaughan
We use the BISICLES adaptive mesh ice sheet model to carry out one, two, and three century simulations of the fast-flowing ice streams of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Each…Space weather concerns for all‐electric propulsion satellites
10 August, 2015 by Richard Horne
The introduction of all-electric propulsion satellites is a game-changer in the quest for low-cost access to space. It also raises new questions for satellite manufacturers, operators and the insurance industry…Read more on Space weather concerns for all‐electric propulsion satellites
Implementation of a cloud-based electronic medical record to reduce gaps in the HIV treatment continuum in rural Kenya
7 August, 2015
Background Electronic medical record (EMR) systems are increasingly being adopted to support the delivery of health care in developing countries and their implementation can help to strengthen pathways of care…New Sericosura (Pycnogonida: Ammotheidae) from deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Southern Ocean
5 August, 2015 by Katrin Linse
Three new species of Sericosura (Pycnogonida: Ammotheidae) are described from recently discovered hydrothermal vents in the East Scotia Ridge, Southern Ocean: Sericosura bamberi sp. nov., S. dimorpha sp. nov. and…New taeniogyrinid species of sea cucumber from the Weddell Sea (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Synaptida)
5 August, 2015 by Huw Griffiths
The case put by Alexei Smirnov in 2012 is accepted and the order name Synaptida Cuénot is adopted in place of Apodida Brandt. Two new Synaptida species are described for…Weakening of the global atmospheric circulation with global warming
1 August, 2015 by Joakim Kjellsson
This study finds that the global atmospheric circulation weakens, i.e. transports less mass, by about 5 % per degree of global warming as a result of anthropogenic emissions. This is…Read more on Weakening of the global atmospheric circulation with global warming
A case study of electron precipitation fluxes due to plasmaspheric hiss
1 August, 2015 by Mark Clilverd, Roger Duthie, Roger Duthie
We find that during a large geomagnetic storm in October 2011 the trapped fluxes of >30, >100, and >300 keV outer radiation belt electrons were enhanced at L=3-4 during the…Read more on A case study of electron precipitation fluxes due to plasmaspheric hiss
Study of the impact of ice formation in leads upon the sea ice pack mass balance using a new frazil and grease ice parameterisation
1 August, 2015 by Paul Holland
Leads are cracks in sea ice that often form due to deformation. During winter months leads expose the ocean to the cold atmosphere resulting in supercooling and the formation of…Assessing trace element contamination in Fildes Peninsula (King George Island) and Ardley Island, Antarctic
1 August, 2015 by Kevin Hughes
King George Island, situated in the South Shetland Islands archipelago, is one of the most visited sites in Antarctica. This has contributed to a high density of scientific stations and…The ‘scaly-foot gastropod’: a new genus and species of hydrothermal vent-endemic gastropod (Neomphalina: Peltospiridae) from the Indian Ocean
1 August, 2015 by Katrin Linse
The ‘scaly-foot gastropod’ is widely recognized as an iconic species of deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems in the Indian Ocean. Uniquely among gastropods, this species carries hundreds of dermal sclerites on…Responses to increases in temperature of heterotrophic micro-organisms in soils from the maritime Antarctic
1 August, 2015 by Kevin Newsham
Understanding relationships between environmental changes and soil microbial respiration is critical for predicting changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) fluxes and content. The maritime Antarctic is experiencing one of the…Malcolm Roy Clarke, FRS
1 August, 2015 by Paul Rodhouse
Malcolm Roy Clarke, FRS (1930–2013) made lasting contributions to cephalopod biology through his productive research programme, his commitment to furthering cephalopod biology and his congenial spirit. His professional legacy includes…Survey of Saturn Z-mode Emission
1 August, 2015 by Emma Woodfield, Richard Horne
Because of the role of Z-mode emission in the diffusive scattering and resonant acceleration of electrons, we conduct a survey of intensity in the Saturn inner magnetosphere. Z-mode is primarily…Freshwater distributions and water mass structure in the Amundsen Sea Polynya region, Antarctica
1 August, 2015 by Adrian Jenkins, Povl Abrahamsen, Michael Meredith
We present the first densely-sampled hydrographic survey of the Amundsen Sea Polynya (ASP) region, including a detailed characterization of its freshwater distributions. Multiple components contribute to the freshwater budget, including…Future challenges in cephalopod research
1 August, 2015 by Paul Rodhouse
Cephalopods (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) play an important role as keystone invertebrates in various marine ecosystems, as well as being a valuable fisheries resource. At the World Malacological Congress, held 21–28 July…