5 February, 2020 by Jade Reidy, Jade Reidy
This paper reviews our current understanding of auroral features that appear poleward of the main auroral oval within the polar cap, especially those that are known as Sun-aligned arcs, transpolar…
4 February, 2020 by David Barnes
The Earth’s warming climate is reducing snow and ice. The warming of the polar seas causes the sea surface to freeze less in winter and glaciers to retreat, generating more…
4 February, 2020 by Philip Trathan, Richard Phillips
1. The identification of geographic areas where the densities of animals are highest across their annual cycles is a crucial step in conservation planning. In marine environments, however, it can…
4 February, 2020 by Peter Convey
Physiological thermal limits of organisms are linked to their geographic distribution. The assessment of such limits can provide valuable insights when monitoring for environmental thermal alterations. Using the dynamic critical…4 February, 2020 by Thomas Lachlan-Cope
In situ measurements of Arctic clouds frequently show that ice crystal number concentrations (ICNCs) are much higher than the number of available ice-nucleating particles (INPs), suggesting that secondary ice production…Read more on The impact of secondary ice production on Arctic stratocumulus
3 February, 2020 by James France
Gravity drainage is the dominant process redistributing solutes in growing sea ice. Modelling gravity drainage is therefore necessary to predict physical and biogeochemical variables in sea ice. We evaluate seven…1 February, 2020 by Philip Trathan
More than half of the world's 18 penguin species are declining. We, the Steering Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission Penguin Specialist Group, determined…Read more on Applying science to pressing conservation needs for penguins
1 February, 2020 by Dave Munday
The Southern Ocean (SO) surface wind stress is a major atmospheric forcing for driving the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and the global overturning circulation. Here the effects of wind fluctuations at…Read more on Southern Ocean wind stress in CMIP5 models: Role of wind fluctuations
1 February, 2020 by Martin Collins, Ryan Saunders
This study examines age and growth of Brauer's lanternfish Gymnoscopelus braueri and rhombic lanternfish Krefftichthys anderssoni from the Scotia Sea in the Southern Ocean, through the analysis of annual growth…1 February, 2020 by Kevin Newsham
We report a space-for-time substitution study predicting the impacts of climate change on vegetated maritime Antarctic soils. Analyses of soils from under Deschampsia antarctica sampled from three islands along a…1 February, 2020 by Chester Sands, David Barnes
As marine-ice around Antarctica retracts, a vast 'blue carbon' sink, in the form of living biomass, is emerging. Properly protected and promoted Antarctic blue carbon will form the world's largest…Read more on Protecting Antarctic blue carbon: As marine ice retreats can the law fill the gap?
1 February, 2020 by Andrew Orr, James Pope
This paper delineates the process of activation of soot or black carbon particles into cloud droplets over Chennai, India (an Asian megacity). Archaic wood-fired cooking stove emissions from crowded shantytown…1 February, 2020 by Martin Collins
Diet of bluenose warehou, Hyperoglyphe antarctica, was investigated from samples collected during commercial fishing (trawling and longlining) on seamounts in the Tristan da Cunha EEZ in the South Atlantic Ocean.…1 February, 2020 by Michael Rose
Iron-rich meteorites are significantly underrepresented in collection statistics from Antarctica. This has led to a hypothesis that there is a sparse layer of iron-rich meteorites hidden below the surface of…1 February, 2020 by Sophie Fielding
Today, we can celebrate a strong representation of women in sea-going science in the United Kingdom, providing positive role models for early-career female marine scientists. However, women continue to face…Read more on Equity at sea: Gender and inclusivity in UK sea-going science
31 January, 2020 by Huw Griffiths
Antarctic shallow coastal marine communities were long thought to be isolated from their nearest neighbours by hundreds of kilometres of deep ocean and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The discovery of…
28 January, 2020 by Kelly Hogan
Petermann Fjord is a deep (>1000 m) fjord that incises the coastline of north-west Greenland and was carved by an expanded Petermann Glacier, one of the six largest outlet glaciers draining…
27 January, 2020 by Peter Convey
Climatic changes can induce geographic expansion and altitudinal shifts in the distribution of invasive species by offering more thermally suitable habitats. At the remote sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Islands, the predatory insect…27 January, 2020 by Tom Jordan, Teal Riley
West Antarctica has formed the tectonically active margin between East Antarctica and the Pacific Ocean for almost half a billion years, where it has recorded a dynamic history of magmatism,…Read more on The geological history and evolution of West Antarctica
24 January, 2020 by Hugh Corr, Irena Vankova, Keith Makinson, Keith Nicholls
The Filchner‐Ronne Ice Shelf experiences strong tidal forcing known to displace portions of the ice shelf by several meters over a tidal cycle. These large periodic displacements may cause significant…
23 January, 2020 by Amelie Kirchgaessner, John King
Föhn winds are warm, strong, downslope winds on the lee side of mountains, which can last from several hours to a few days. 1995 and 2002 saw the dramatic break‐up…20 January, 2020 by Alexander Brearley
A Kongsberg Seaglider with a microstructure package was deployed in the Faroe-Shetland Channel in 2017 as part of the 4th Marine Autonomous Systems in Support of Marine Observations (MASSMO4). Using…
17 January, 2020 by Lloyd Peck, Simon Morley
The levels of pollutants in polar regions is gaining progressively more attention from the science community. This is especially so for pollutants that persist in the environment and can reach…17 January, 2020 by Tracy Moffat-Griffin
Atmospheric 8‐ and 6‐hr tides are observed for the first time in the zonal and meridional winds at ~82–97 km altitudes simultaneously at Tierra del Fuego (TDF; 53.7°S, 67.7°W), King…
16 January, 2020 by Louise Sime, Maria Vittoria Guarino
When the same weather or climate simulation is run on different high-performance computing (HPC) platforms, model outputs may not be identical for a given initial condition. While the role of…
15 January, 2020 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, James Smith
The Amundsen Sea drainage sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is widely regarded as a candidate for triggering potential WAIS collapse. The grounded ice sheet drains into the…
15 January, 2020 by Jacob Opher
What is already happening • Salinity of eastern North Atlantic waters west of the UK has dramatically decreased over the last five years, probably in response to changes in the…Read more on Climate change and salinity of the coastal and marine environment around the UK.
15 January, 2020 by Jeremy Wilkinson
Satellite measurements continue to reveal reductions in the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice. Research suggests that at least half of the observed decline of ice extent can be…
8 January, 2020 by Richard Phillips
Pelagic seabirds are amongst the most threatened of all avian groups. They face a range of immunological challenges which seem destined to increase due to environmental changes in their breeding…Read more on Protein deimination and extracellular vesicle profiles in Antarctic seabirds
6 January, 2020 by Thomas Bauska
The Last Interglacial (129–116 thousand years ago (ka)) represents one of the warmest climate intervals of the past 800,000 years and the most recent time when sea level was metres higher…Read more on Global ocean heat content in the Last Interglacial
5 January, 2020 by Dennis Mayk
Boron isotope (δ11B) analysis using bulk foraminifera samples is a widely used method to reconstruct paleo sea water pH conditions. Although, these analyses exhibit high analytical precision, short term information…
3 January, 2020 by James Pope, Thomas Bracegirdle
The gyres of the Iceland and Greenland Seas are regions of deep-water formation, driven by large ocean-to-atmosphere heat fluxes that have local maxima adjacent to the sea-ice edge. Recently these…
1 January, 2020 by David Barnes, Eugene Murphy, Iain Staniland, Katrin Linse, Simeon Hill
In this article, we analyze the impacts of climate change on Antarctic marine ecosystems. Observations demonstrate large-scale changes in the physical variables and circulation of the Southern Ocean driven by…
1 January, 2020 by Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey
1. Biodiversity loss has increased globally in recent years. The major threat to Antarctica’s unique terrestrial biodiversity is the establishment of non-native species. Nonetheless, while preventing the introduction of non-native…Read more on Humans and wind, shaping Antarctic soil arthropod biodiversity
1 January, 2020 by Kevin Hughes, Lloyd Peck
Antarctica is one of the least anthropogenically-impacted areas of the world. Metal sources to the marine environment include localised activities of research stations and glacial meltwater containing metals of lithogenic…
1 January, 2020 by Geraint Tarling, Gabriele Stowasser, Sophie Fielding
The concentrations of total and proportions of organic mercury were measured in tissues of 355 individuals of 8 species of Southern Ocean squid (Alluroteuthis antarcticus, Bathyteuthis abyssicola, Filippovia knipovitchi, Galiteuthis…Read more on Mercury levels in Southern Ocean squid: Variability over the last decade
1 January, 2020 by Peter Convey
1. Rising human activity in Antarctica, combined with continued warming of the polar climate, means the risk of non‐native terrestrial species colonising and establishing in its biodiversity‐ and nutrient‐poor ecosystems…1 January, 2020 by Philip Trathan, Peter Fretwell
We argue the need to improve climate change forecasting for ecology, and importantly, how to relate long-term projections to conservation. As an example, we discuss the need for effective management…Read more on The emperor penguin – vulnerable to projected rates of warming and sea ice loss
1 January, 2020 by Peter Convey
Invasive alien species are among the most significant conservation threats for Antarctica, and the South Orkney Islands are highly exposed to this threat because of their location and intensity of…
1 January, 2020 by Claire Allen, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Louise Sime, Matthew Chadwick
The peak of the Last Interglacial, Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e (130–116 ka), provides a valuable ‘process analogue’ for validating the climatic feedbacks and forcings likely active under future anthropogenic…1 January, 2020 by Joseph Marlow
Coral reefs have experienced extensive degradation across the world over the last 50 years as a result of a variety of stressors operating at a range of spatial and temporal…1 January, 2020 by Lloyd Peck
In this horizon scan, we highlight 15 emerging issues of potential relevance to global conservation in 2020. Seven relate to potentially extensive changes in vegetation or ecological systems. These changes…Read more on A Horizon Scan of Emerging Global Biological Conservation Issues for 2020.
1 January, 2020 by Peter Convey
Pravastatin is a clinically useful cholesterol-lowering agent. The development of a one-step fermentation process using pravastatin-producing microfungi may be an attractive approach from an economic point of view. To facilitate…1 January, 2020 by Liz Thomas
Evidence from various climate proxies provides us with increasingly reliable proof that only in the past 10 millennia were natural systems more or less as we see them at the…Read more on The last three millions of unequal spring thaws
1 January, 2020 by Scott Hosking
Ensembles of geophysical models improve projection accuracy and express uncertainties. We develop a novel data-driven ensembling strategy for combining geophysical models using Bayesian Neural Networks, which infers spatiotemporally varying model…Read more on Ensembling geophysical models with Bayesian Neural Networks
1 January, 2020 by Simeon Hill
This is an update on the operation of and compliance with the ARK commitment during its second year of operation. The evaluation was completed by an expanded EP compared to…1 January, 2020 by Peter Ward, Will Goodall-Copestake
This chapter summarizes global patterns and mechanisms of both ecological and historical crustacean biogeography resulting in the contemporary species distributions described over the past decades. In the pelagic realm, hydrographic…
30 December, 2019 by Anna Jones, Markus Frey
The cryosphere, which comprises a large portion of Earth’s surface, is rapidly changing as a consequence of global climate change. Ice, snow, and frozen ground in the polar and alpine…27 December, 2019 by Mark Clilverd
A technique for analysing very low frequency (VLF) radiowave signals is investigated in order to achieve rapid, real‐time detection of large solar flares, through the monitoring of changes in VLF…26 December, 2019 by Alex Brisbourne
Using 8‐25s period Rayleigh and Love wave phase velocity dispersion data extracted from seismic ambient noise, we (i) model the 3D shear wave velocity structure of the West Antarctic crust…26 December, 2019 by Hayley Allison, Nigel Meredith, Sarah Glauert
Using a particle‐in‐cell code, we study the diffusive response of electrons due to wave‐particle interactions with whistler‐mode waves. The relatively simple configuration of field‐aligned waves in a cold plasma is…26 December, 2019 by Mark Clilverd
Many factors influence relativistic outer radiation belt electron fluxes, such as waves in the ultra low frequency (ULF) Pc5, very low frequency (VLF), and electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) frequency bands,…23 December, 2019 by Andrew Orr, Clare Allen, Daniel Bannister, Scott Hosking, Tony Phillips
The need to provide accurate estimates of precipitation over catchments in the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, and Himalaya mountain ranges for hydrological and water resource systems assessments is widely recognized, as…23 December, 2019 by Jakob Thyrring
Species expand towards higher latitudes in response to climate warming, but the pace of this expansion is related to the physiological capacity to resist cold stress. However, few studies exist…Read more on Local cold adaption increases the thermal window of temperate mussels in the Arctic
17 December, 2019 by Liz Thomas, Robert Mulvaney
We study a firn and ice core drilled at the new "Lock-In" site in East Antarctica, located 136 km away from Concordia station towards Durmont d'Urville. High resolution chemical and physical…Read more on Multi-tracer study of gas trapping in an East Antarctic ice core
17 December, 2019 by Tracy Moffat-Griffin
Atmospheric gravity waves play a key role in the transfer of energy and momentum between layers of the Earth's atmosphere. However, nearly all Global Circulation Models (GCMs) seriously under-represent the…13 December, 2019
Vampyroteuthis infernalis Chun, 1903, is a widely distributed deepwater cephalopod with unique morphology and phylogenetic position. We assessed its habitat and trophic ecology on a global scale via stable isotope…12 December, 2019 by Fausto Ferraccioli, Peter Fretwell
The Antarctic ice sheet has been losing mass over past decades through the accelerated flow of its glaciers, conditioned by ocean temperature and bed topography. Glaciers retreating along retrograde slopes…12 December, 2019
Rossia palpebrosa (Sepiolida) is the most abundant nekto-benthic cephalopod in the Arctic; however, its feeding and trophic ecology are largely unknown. This work aims to assess the role of this…10 December, 2019 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, James Smith
Reductions in the thickness and extent of Antarctic ice shelves are triggering increased discharge of marine-terminating glaciers. While the impacts of recent changes are well documented, their role in modulating…Read more on The marine geological imprint of Antarctic ice shelves
4 December, 2019 by Amy King, Claire Allen, Liz Thomas, Holly Winton, Victoria Peck
Dramatic changes in sea ice have been observed in both poles in recent decades. However, the observational period for sea ice is short, and the climate models tasked with predicting…2 December, 2019 by Ed King
Suture zones are abundant on Antarctic ice shelves and widely observed to impede fracture propagation, greatly enhancing ice-shelf stability. Using seismic and radar observations on the Larsen C Ice Shelf…
1 December, 2019 by Michael Thorne
Teleost fish scales play important roles in animal protection and homeostasis. They can be targeted by endogenous estrogens and by environmental estrogenic endocrine disruptors. The phytoestrogen genistein is ubiquitous in…
1 December, 2019 by Jakob Thyrring, Lloyd Peck, Luca Telesca
Although geographical patterns of species' sensitivity to environmental changes are defined by interacting multiple stressors, little is known about compensatory processes shaping regional differences in organismal vulnerability. Here, we examine…1 December, 2019 by Fausto Ferraccioli
Accurate models of past Antarctic ice sheet behaviour require realistic reconstructions of the evolution of bedrock topography. However, other than a preliminary attempt to reconstruct Antarctic topography at the Eocene–Oligocene…Read more on Reconstructions of Antarctic topography since the Eocene–Oligocene boundary.
1 December, 2019 by Dave Munday, Michael Meredith, Paul Holland, Ryan Patmore
In the Southern Ocean the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is significantly steered by large topographic features, and sub-polar gyres form in their lee. The geometry of topographic features in the Southern…1 December, 2019 by Kevin Newsham
In contrast to the situation in plants inhabiting most of the world’s ecosystems, mycorrhizal fungi are usually absent from roots of the only two native vascular plant species of maritime…1 December, 2019 by Michael Thorne
Fish scales are mineralized structures that play important roles in protection and mineral homeostasis. This tissue expresses multiple estrogen receptor subtypes and can be targeted by estrogens or estrogenic endocrine-disrupting…
1 December, 2019 by Antony Siahaan
We document the development of the first version of the United Kingdom Earth System Model UKESM1. The model represents a major advance on its predecessor HadGEM2‐ES, with enhancements to all…Read more on UKESM1: description and evaluation of the U.K. Earth System Model
1 December, 2019 by Fausto Ferraccioli
In this study we combine seismological and petrological models with satellite gravity gradient data to obtain the thermal and compositional structure of the Antarctic lithosphere. Our results indicate that Antarctica…1 December, 2019 by Richard Phillips, Thomas Clay, Thomas Clay
Individual foraging site fidelity, whereby individuals repeatedly visit the same foraging areas, is widespread in nature, and likely benefits individuals through higher foraging efficiency and potentially, higher breeding success. It…
1 December, 2019 by Katrin Linse
We report in situ observations that reveal the presence of the thorid genus Eualus at hydrothermally active sites. The shrimp Eualus amandae Nye, Copley & Linse, 2013 was first collected…
1 December, 2019 by Andrew Meijers, Dani Jones, Emma Boland, Emily Shuckburgh
The Southern Ocean features regionally‐varying ventilation pathways that transport heat and carbon from the surface ocean to the interior thermocline on timescales of decades to centuries, but the factors that…1 December, 2019 by Andrew Meijers
Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) in the Pacific forms in two distinct pools in the south central and southeast Pacific, which subduct into the ocean interior and impact global storage of…Read more on A see-saw in Pacific Subantarctic Mode Water formation driven by atmospheric modes
1 December, 2019 by Peter Convey
Highlights • Insects sampled along the invasion gradient were not characterized by an increased thermal tolerance. • Significant differences in the ability to recover from thermal stress were found among…
1 December, 2019 by Richard Phillips
Illex argentinus is an ecologically and economically important species, assumed to be restricted to the Patagonian Shelf and around the subtropical convergence. Beaks found in diet samples from black-browed albatrosses…1 December, 2019 by Christian Buckingham
The ocean surface boundary layer is a critical interface across which momentum, heat, and trace gases are exchanged between the oceans and atmosphere. Surface processes (winds, waves, and buoyancy forcing)…1 December, 2019 by Dani Jones
Abstract—We use an unsupervised classification technique (i.e. Gaussian mixture modeling or GMM) to identify ocean regions with similar balances between processes that determine the surface budget of dissolved inorganic carbon.…Read more on Gaussian mixture modeling describes the geography of the surface ocean carbon budget.
29 November, 2019 by Oliver Marsh
Differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar (DInSAR) is an essential tool for detecting ice-sheet motion near Antarctica's oceanic margin. These space-borne measurements have been used extensively in the past to map…
27 November, 2019 by Lloyd Peck, Peter Convey
Antarctica and the surrounding Southern Ocean are facing complex environmental change. Their native biota has adapted to the region’s extreme conditions over many millions of years. This unique biota is…Read more on Antarctic environmental change and biological responses
27 November, 2019 by Rachel Cavanagh, Susie Grant
The impacts of climate change and the socioecological challenges they present are ubiquitous and increasingly severe. Practical efforts to operationalize climate-responsive design and management in the global network of marine…Read more on Integrating climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation in the global ocean
25 November, 2019 by Melody Clark
Coastal ecosystems, including estuaries, are increasingly pressured by expanding hypoxic regions as a result of human activities such as increased release of nutrients and global warming. Hypoxia is often defined…22 November, 2019 by Louise Sime
Creating more accurate reconstructions of past Antarctic ice sheet shapes allows us to better predict how they will vary in the changing climate and contribute to future sea level changes.…Read more on Ice Cores and Emulation: Learning More About Past Ice Sheet Shapes.
21 November, 2019 by Michael Thorne
Most animal species reproduce sexually and fully parthenogenetic lineages are usually short lived in evolution. Still, parthenogenesis may be advantageous as it avoids the cost of sex and permits colonisation…
21 November, 2019 by Mark Clilverd
Observations of relativistic energetic electron fluxes in the outer radiation belt can show dropouts, i.e., sudden electron flux depletions during the main phase of a geomagnetic storm. Many recent studies…20 November, 2019 by Harriet Clewlow
This thesis sought to elucidate the mechanisms driving the large-scale population changes observed in Pygoscelis penguins in the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP)/Scotia Sea region since the 1970s, with particular focus…20 November, 2019 by Thomas Hudson, Thomas Hudson
Volcanoes and glaciers can both pose a significant threat to life and property. Volcanoes can erupt suddenly, without warning, causing injury, death and damage to property. Glaciers generally present a…Read more on Investigating volcanic and glacial processes using microseismicity
20 November, 2019 by Andrew Clarke, David Pearce, Katrin Linse, Robert Larter
Faunal assemblages at hydrothermal vents associated with island-arc volcanism are less well known than those at vents on mid-ocean ridges and back-arc spreading centres. This study characterizes chemosynthetic biotopes at…20 November, 2019 by Maria Vittoria Guarino
The last extended time period when climate may have been warmer than today was during the Last Interglacial (LIG; ca. 129 to 120 thousand years ago). However, a global view…19 November, 2019
The Hindu-Kush Karakoram Himalaya (HKKH) contains the third largest quantity of snow and ice in the world, after the Polar Regions. Meltwater from this snow and ice feeds many of…Read more on Wind and temperature in a glacierised Himalyan valley, and their controlling mechanisms
19 November, 2019 by Peter Convey
Vegetation near bird and seal rookeries typically has high δ15N signatures and these high values are linked to the enriched δ15N values of rookery soils. However, Antarctic cryptogams are mostly…18 November, 2019 by Louis-Alexandre Couston
Bowman et al. reported low-frequency photometric variability in 164 O- and B-type stars observed with K2 and TESS. They interpret these motions as internal gravity waves, which could be excited…Read more on Low-frequency variability in massive stars: core generation or surface phenomenon?
9 November, 2019 by Chester Sands, Quentin Jossart
Poecilogony, or multiple developmental modes in a single species, is exceedingly rare. Several species described as poecilogenous were later demonstrated to be multiple (cryptic) species with a different developmental mode.…
8 November, 2019 by Richard Horne
Space weather phenomena have been studied in detail in the peer‐reviewed scientific literature. However, there has arguably been scant analysis of the potential socioeconomic impacts of space weather, despite a…