29 November, 2018 by Michael McCarthy, Hamish Pritchard, Michael McCarthy
Shallow ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys are used to characterize the small-scale spatial variability of supraglacial debris thickness on a Himalayan glacier. Debris thickness varies widely over short spatial scales. Comparison…28 November, 2018
Lanternfishes (Myctophidae) dominate fish diversity and biomass within the mesopelagic ocean between 200-1000m deep. In the face of exploitation and climate change there is a need to predict their current…Read more on Ecological niches and geographic distributions of lanternfishes
17 November, 2018 by David Pearce, Peter Convey
N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) are well-studied signalling molecules produced by some Gram-negative Proteobacteria for bacterial cell-to-cell communication or quorum sensing. We have previously demonstrated the degradation of AHLs by an Antarctic…16 November, 2018 by Geraint Tarling, Norman Ratcliffe, Philip Trathan
Information is needed on how anomalous environmental conditions affect important Antarctic ecological sentinels during the winter. Using a non-invasive method (scats), the diet of non-breeding gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua at…16 November, 2018 by Louise Sime, Max Holloway
Warmer than present Antarctic and Southern Ocean temperatures during the last interglacial, approximately 128,000 years ago, have been attributed to changes in north‐south ocean heat transport, causing opposing hemispheric temperature…16 November, 2018
A central paradigm in conservation biology is that population bottlenecks reduce genetic diversity and population viability. In an era of biodiversity loss and climate change, understanding the determinants and consequences…15 November, 2018 by Carlos Martin Garcia, Fausto Ferraccioli, Hugh Corr, Tom Jordan
Melting at the base of the Antarctic Ice Sheet influences ice dynamics and our ability to recover ancient climatic records from deep ice cores. Basal melt rates are affected by…Read more on Anomalously high geothermal flux near the South Pole
14 November, 2018 by Adrian Jenkins, Povl Abrahamsen, Keith Nicholls, Peter Davis
Ocean‐driven basal melting of Amundsen Sea ice shelves has triggered acceleration, thinning, and grounding line retreat on many West Antarctic outlet glaciers. Here we present the first year‐long (2014) record…12 November, 2018 by Andrew Orr, Emily Potter
Understanding the local valley wind regimes in the Hindu‐Kush Karakoram Himalaya is vital for future predictions of the glacio‐hydro‐meteorological system. Here the Weather Research and Forecasting model is employed at…Read more on Dynamical drivers of the local wind regime in a Himalayan valley
7 November, 2018 by Carlos Martin Garcia, Richard Hindmarsh, Richard Hindmarsh
Large, plume-like internal ice-layer-structures have been observed in radar images from both Antarctica and Greenland, rising from the ice-sheet base to up to half of the ice thickness. Their origins…Read more on Basal freeze-on generates complex ice-sheet stratigraphy
5 November, 2018 by Fausto Ferraccioli
Curvature components derived from satellite gravity gradients provide new global views of Earth’s structure. The satellite gravity gradients are based on the GOCE satellite mission and we illustrate by curvature…Read more on Earth tectonics as seen by GOCE – Enhanced satellite gravity gradient imaging
5 November, 2018 by Dieter Tetzner, Liz Thomas
The Antarctic Peninsula (AP) is a region of special climatological interest. The late twentieth century has been a period of warming surface temperatures, enhanced mass loss from melting glaciers and…Read more on The climate of the Antarctic Peninsula during the 20th century- evidence from ice cores
5 November, 2018 by David Barnes
When marine organisms eat and grow they capture and store carbon, termed blue carbon. Polar seas have extreme light climates and sea temperatures. Their continental shelves have amongst the most…2 November, 2018 by Clara Manno, Geraint Tarling, Gabriele Stowasser, Peter Enderlein, Sophie Fielding
The efficiency of deep-ocean CO2 sequestration is regulated by the relative balance between inorganic and organic carbon export respectively acting through the biological carbon pump (BCP) and the carbonate counter…Read more on Threatened species drive the strength of the carbonate pump in the northern Scotia Sea
1 November, 2018 by Gareth Chisham, Mai Mai Lam, Mervyn Freeman
We use National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) reanalysis data to investigate the Antarctic mean tropospheric temperature anomaly associated with changes in the dawn-dusk component…1 November, 2018 by Norman Ratcliffe, Philip Trathan
There is a growing search for less invasive methods while studying the diet of Antarctic animals in the wild. Therefore, we compared the diet of gentoo penguins from stomach contents…1 November, 2018 by Catharine Horswill, Jennifer Jackson, Philip Trathan
Dietary studies of marine predators offer an immediate signal of foodweb changes occurring at lower trophic levels, and therefore are often used to assess the ecosystem status of marine systems.…1 November, 2018 by Geraint Tarling, Peter Ward, Sally Thorpe
To investigate whether impacts of reported climate change in the Antarctic marine environment have affected mesozooplankton populations, we compared the summertime abundances of four species of large calanoid copepods from…1 November, 2018 by Philip Trathan
There is increasing interest in using higher-trophic level predators as ecosystem indicators because their performance is presumed to be linked to the overall function of the ecosystem that supports them.…1 November, 2018 by Kelly Hogan
The Greenland Ice Sheet has experienced significant mass loss in recent years. A substantial component of this is attributable to the retreat of marine-terminating outlet glaciers, which lose mass through…1 November, 2018 by Iain Staniland
Little is known about the movement ecology of male South American fur seals (SAFS; Arctocephalus australis). To begin to address knowledge gaps we used satellite telemetry to track four adult…1 November, 2018 by Geraint Tarling, Gabriele Stowasser, Peter Ward, Ryan Saunders, Simeon Hill
Myctophids are the biomass-dominant mesopelagic fishes in the Southern Ocean, but their trophic role within the pelagic food web south of the Antarctic Polar Front is poorly resolved from a…1 November, 2018 by Fausto Ferraccioli
The study of the statistical properties of ocean magnetic anomalies could be very important to obtain new understanding on plate tectonics, especially about the past properties of the lithospheric oceanic…Read more on Statistical analysis of the oceanic magnetic anomaly data
1 November, 2018 by Harriet Clewlow, Norman Ratcliffe, Philip Trathan, Victoria Warwick-Evans
Aim: To provide a method of analyzing penguin tracking data to identify priority at-sea areas for seabird conservation (marine IBAs), based on pre-existing approaches for flying seabirds but revised according…1 November, 2018 by Norman Ratcliffe
1.Understanding drivers of population change is critical for effective species conservation. In the northeast Atlantic Ocean, recent changes amongst seabird communities are linked to human and climate change impacts on…1 November, 2018 by Mark Clilverd
Phase and amplitude measurements of VLF radio waves propagating sub‐ionospherically on long paths across the Arctic are used to determine the high latitude, daytime D region height and sharpness of…1 November, 2018 by Kevin Newsham, Peter Convey
Soil microbial communities in the Arctic, one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth, play an important role in a range of ecological processes. This report describes initial studies…1 November, 2018 by Emma Woodfield
The radiation belts and magnetospheres of Jupiter and Saturn show significant intensities of relativistic electrons with energies up to tens of MeV. To date, the question on how the electrons…Read more on Electron acceleration to MeV energies at Jupiter and Saturn
1 November, 2018 by John Turner
Weather forecasting in the Antarctic presents many challenges, with strong wind events (SWEs) often disrupting air and field operations. Here, we study the mechanisms responsible for a SWE (maximum wind…1 November, 2018 by David Pearce, Peter Convey
Actinobacterium strain S63T isolated from a soil sample collected from Spindrift Col on Signy Island (South Orkney Islands, maritime Antarctic) is a new species of the Intrasporangiaceae family. Here we…1 November, 2018 by Hayley Allison, Richard Horne, Sarah Glauert
Variations in the high-energy relativistic electron flux of the radiation belts depend on transport, acceleration, and loss processes, and importantly on the lower-energy seed population. However, data on the seed…1 November, 2018 by Antony Siahaan
A new climate model, HadGEM3 N96ORCA1, is presented that is part of the GC3.1 configuration of HadGEM3. N96ORCA1 has a horizontal resolution of ~135 km in the atmosphere and 1°…26 October, 2018 by Alison Ming
Observational and modeling studies suggest that Earth's tropical belt has widened over the late 20th century and will continue to widen throughout the 21st century. Yet, estimates of tropical-width variations…24 October, 2018 by Ed King, Hilmar Gudmundsson, Jan De Rydt
The rate and direction of rift propagation through ice shelves depends on both the stress field and the heterogeneity, or otherwise, of the physical properties of the ice. The Brunt…20 October, 2018 by Chester Sands, David Barnes, Simon Morley, Will Goodall-Copestake
There has been a recent shift in global perception of plastics in the environment, resulting in a call for greater action. Science and the popular media have highlighted plastic as…Read more on Marine plastics threatens giant Atlantic Marine Protected Areas
18 October, 2018 by Andy Smith, Dominic Hodgson, Ed King
Lakes beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet are of fundamental scientific interest for their ability to contain unique records of ice sheet history and microbial life in their sediments. However, no…Read more on Evidence for the long-term sedimentary environment in an Antarctic subglacial lake
16 October, 2018 by Keith Nicholls, Tun Jan Young
The delivery of surface meltwater through englacial drainage systems to the bed of the Greenland Ice Sheet modulates ice flow through basal lubrication. Recent studies in Southeast Greenland have identified…Read more on Surface meltwater impounded by seasonal englacial storage in West Greenland
15 October, 2018 by Emilie Capron, Irene Malmierca Vallet, Louise Sime
Last Interglacial (LIG), stable water isotope values (δ18O) measured in Greenland deep ice cores are at least 2.5‰ higher compared to the present day. Previous isotopic climate simulations of the…8 October, 2018 by Emilie Capron
The last deglaciation represents the most recent example of natural global warming associated with large-scale climate changes. In addition to the long-term global temperature increase, the last deglaciation onset is…1 October, 2018 by Andrew Kavanagh, Mark Clilverd, Richard Horne
We examine the variation of stratospheric ozone over northern Finland using ozonesonde observations from 1845 stratospheric balloon flights launched between 1989 and 2015 from near Sodankylä. The annual variation of…Read more on Solar proton events and stratospheric ozone depletion over northern Finland
1 October, 2018 by Richard Horne
Predicting variations in the near-Earth space environment that can lead to spacecraft damage and failure is one example of “space weather” and a big space physics challenge. A project recently…Read more on Specification of the near-Earth space environment with SHIELDS
1 October, 2018
Early life-history stages of cephalopods are known to play an important role as prey in food webs of the Southern Ocean, but little information is available about their biology and…1 October, 2018 by Peter Fretwell
Today albatrosses are threatened worldwide, especially by fishing activities, and many populations are currently in decline. Albatrosses breeding at the French Southern Territories in the south-western Indian Ocean, on the…1 October, 2018 by Richard Phillips
Albatrosses (Diomedeidae) are iconic pelagic seabirds whose life-history traits (longevity, high trophic position) put them at risk of high levels of exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), a powerful neurotoxin that threatens…1 October, 2018 by Richard Phillips
Given the rarity of hybridization in seabirds, which presumably relates to their very high philopatry, the degree of breeding‐site vagrancy should correspond with the incidence of mixed‐species pairing, although not…Read more on Breeding-site vagrancy and hybridization in albatrosses
1 October, 2018 by Lloyd Peck, Melody Clark
Morphologies of animals can vary significantly, and variation in characters in relation to taxonomic discrimination is often either underestimated or not evaluated. It can, however, make the identification and separation…1 October, 2018 by Claire Allen
Semi‐automated methods for microscopic image acquisition, image analysis and taxonomic identification have repeatedly received attention in diatom analysis. Less well studied is the question whether and how such methods might…1 October, 2018
Literature reports that body size can be associated with latitudinal distribution, for instance larger animals inhabit higher latitudes and colder habitats. This rule can be applied for species and populations…1 October, 2018 by Adrian Jenkins, Deb Shoosmith
Mass loss from the Amundsen Sea sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has increased in recent decades, suggestive of sustained ocean forcing or an ongoing, possibly unstable, response to…1 October, 2018 by Dave Munday
The global stratification and circulation, and their sensitivities to changes in forcing, depend crucially on the representation of the mesoscale eddy field in a numerical ocean circulation model. Here, a…1 October, 2018 by Richard Phillips
Many predictive models of spatial and temporal distribution (e.g. in response to climate change or species introductions) assume that species have one environmental niche that applies to all individuals. However,…1 October, 2018 by Keith Nicholls
Hydrographic data collected during five summer surveys between 2002 and 2015 reveal that the subsurface ocean near Petermann Gletscher, Greenland warmed by 0.015 ± 0.013°C yr-1. New 2015 - 2016…Read more on A decade of ocean changes impacting the ice shelf of Petermann Gletscher, Greenland
1 October, 2018 by Kevin Hughes, Kevin Newsham, Marta Misiak
The harsh climatic conditions and low levels of human activity in Antarctica, relative to other regions, means few non-native species have established. However, the risk of introductions is becoming greater…1 October, 2018 by Dave Munday
The Southern Ocean is the largest sink of anthropogenic carbon in the present-day climate. Here, Southern Ocean pCO 2 pCO2 and its dependence on wind forcing are investigated using an…1 October, 2018 by Nigel Meredith, Richard Horne, Sarah Glauert
As society becomes more reliant on satellite technology, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the radiation environment throughout the Van Allen radiation belts. Historically most satellites have operated in…Read more on A 30-year simulation of the outer electron radiation belt
1 October, 2018 by Jaume Forcada
Evaluating how populations are connected by migration is important for understanding species resilience because gene flow can facilitate recovery from demographic declines. We therefore investigated the extent to which migration…1 October, 2018 by Mervyn Freeman
The substorm process releases large amounts of energy into the magnetospheric system, although where the energy is transferred to and how it is partitioned remains an open question. In this…16 September, 2018 by Mark Clilverd
In this study 30‐ to 1,000‐keV energetic electron precipitation (EEP) data from low Earth orbiting National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and MetOp Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites were processed in two…11 September, 2018 by Andrew Meijers, Thomas Bracegirdle
The Southern Ocean is a pivotal component of the global climate system yet it is poorly represented in climate models, with significant biases in upper-ocean temperatures, clouds and winds. Combining…Read more on Critical Southern Ocean climate model biases traced to atmospheric model cloud errors
1 September, 2018
As climate change, among other factors, is increasingly affecting Antarctic marine systems, competition for prey may increase between predators, particularly in the Antarctic Peninsula which has warmed more than elsewhere.…1 September, 2018 by Lloyd Peck
The accepted paradigm for reproduction in Antarctic marine species is one where oogenesis takes 18 months to 2 years, and a bimodal egg-size distribution where two cohorts of eggs are…1 September, 2018 by Norman Ratcliffe
Environmental changes often affect the persistence of species or populations at different spatial and temporal scales. Thus, species must either adapt to these changes or experience negative impacts at the…1 September, 2018 by Katrin Linse
Approaches to measuring marine biological parameters remain almost as diverse as the researchers who measure them. However, understanding the patterns of diversity in ocean life over different temporal and geographic…1 September, 2018 by Lloyd Peck, Melody Clark, Victoria Sleight
Acclimation, via phenotypic flexibility, is a potential means for a fast response to climate change. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning phenotypic flexibility can provide a fine-scale cellular understanding of how…1 September, 2018 by Alistair Crame, Jane Francis
The shell material of marine benthic bivalves provides a sensitive archive of water chemistry immediately above the sediment–water interface, which in turn is affected by sedimentary geochemistry and redox reactions.…1 September, 2018 by Beatrix Schlarb-Ridley, Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey
Threats to global food security have generated the need for novel food production techniques to feed an ever-expanding population with ever-declining land resources. Hydroponic cultivation has been long recognised as…Read more on Can the optimisation of pop-up agriculture in remote communities help feed the world?
1 September, 2018 by Tom Jordan
Massive volumes of mafic magmatism forming the Karoo-Ferrar Large Igneous Province (LIP) in Southern Africa and Antarctica preceded Jurassic breakup of the Gondwana Supercontinent. This widespread LIP magmatism is attributed…1 September, 2018 by Alison Ming
There is mounting evidence that the width of the tropics has increased over the last few decades, but there are large differences in reported expansion rates. This is, likely, in…Read more on Revisiting the Relationship among Metrics of Tropical Expansion
1 September, 2018 by Mark Phillips, Nigel Meredith, Richard Horne, Sarah Glauert
Satellite charging is one of the most important risks for satellites on orbit. Satellite charging can lead to an electrostatic discharge resulting in component damage, phantom commands, and loss of…1 September, 2018 by Andrew Kavanagh, Neil Cobbett, Peter Kirsch
Precipitation of energetic electrons to the atmosphere is both a loss mechanism for radiation belt particles and a means by which the geospace environment influences the Earth's atmosphere; thus it…1 September, 2018 by Gail Ashton
International and national guidelines and regulations to limit the inadvertent transfer of non-native species on the submerged surfaces of vessels and mobile infrastructure are progressing. However, methods to assess compliance…1 September, 2018 by Rosey Grant, John Law, Mairi Simms, Steve Colwell
Direct measurement of precipitation in the Antarctic using ground-based instruments is important to validate the results from climate models, reanalyses and satellite observations. Quantifying precipitation in Antarctica faces many unique…Read more on Precipitation instruments at Rothera Station, Antarctic Peninsula: a comparative study
1 September, 2018 by Andrew Kavanagh, Jade Reidy, Jade Reidy
This study investigates the interhemispheric nature of polar cap auroras via ultraviolet imaging, combined with particle data, to determine whether they occur on open or closed field lines. Data from…1 September, 2018
International Polar Week is an educational activity that has been carried out since the International Polar Year 2007–2008 (known then as International Polar Days). This event, which brings together educators…28 August, 2018 by David Vaughan, Tom Jordan, Yasmina Martos-Martin
Curie depths beneath Greenland are revealed by spectral analysis of data from the World Digital Magnetic Anomaly Map 2. A thermal model of the lithosphere then provides a corresponding geothermal…Read more on Geothermal heat flux reveals the Iceland hotspot track underneath Greenland
28 August, 2018 by Keith Nicholls, Peter Davis
A climatically‐induced acceleration in ocean‐driven melting of Antarctic ice shelves would have consequences for both the discharge of continental ice into the ocean and thus global sea level, and for…Read more on Basal melt and freezing rates from first noble gas samples beneath an ice shelf
28 August, 2018 by Jeremy Wilkinson
The thermal evolution of melt ponds on Arctic sea ice was investigated through a combination of autonomous observations and two‐dimensional high‐resolution fluid dynamics simulations. We observed one relatively fresh pond…Read more on Salinity control of thermal evolution of late summer melt ponds on Arctic sea ice
28 August, 2018 by Keith Nicholls
The interior dynamics of Helheim Glacier were monitored using an autonomous phase‐sensitive radio‐echo sounder (ApRES) during two consecutive summers. The return signals from all observational sites exhibited strong non‐tidal, depth‐dependent…22 August, 2018 by Sophie Fielding
The island of South Georgia is situated in the iron (Fe) depleted Antarctic Circumpolar Current of the Southern Ocean. Iron emanating from its shelf system fuels large phytoplankton blooms downstream…20 August, 2018 by Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith
The globally-observed relationship between oceanic barium and the macronutrient silicic acid results from the shared influence of large-scale ocean circulation and mixing on the two elements, and the inherent link…Read more on Oceanic fronts control the distribution of dissolved barium in the Southern Ocean
18 August, 2018 by Nigel Meredith, Richard Horne, Sarah Glauert
High‐energy trapped electrons in the Van Allen belts pose a threat to the survivability of orbiting spacecraft. Two key radiation effects are total ionising dose (TID) and displacement damage dose…Read more on Radiation effects on satellites during extreme space weather events
10 August, 2018 by Andrew Orr, James Pope
Observational records starting in the 1950s show West Antarctica is amongst the most rapidly warming regions on the planet. Together with increased intrusions of warm circumpolar deep water (CDW) onto…10 August, 2018 by Pierre Mathiot
Versions 6 and 7 of the UK Global Ocean configuration (known as GO6 and GO7) will form the ocean components of the Met Office GC3.1 coupled model and UKESM1 earth…Read more on UK Global Ocean GO6 and GO7: a traceable hierarchy of model resolutions
8 August, 2018 by Jennifer Brown
Five penguin species breed in Antarctica: emperors, Adélies, chinstraps, gentoos and macaronis. These are important Antarctic mid-trophic level predators and under predicted climate change are believed threatened. Accurate monitoring of…7 August, 2018 by Kevin Hughes, Marlon Clark, Sarah Reed
Antarctica and surrounding waters are often considered pristine, but may be subject to local pollution from tourism, fishing and governmental research programme activities. In particular, the quantification of microplastic pollution…Read more on Microplastics in marine sediments near Rothera Research Station, Antarctica
7 August, 2018 by Emma Woodfield, Richard Horne
Understanding of wave environments is critical for the understanding of how particles are accelerated and lost in space. This study shows that in the vicinity of Europa and Ganymede, that…Read more on Strong whistler mode waves observed in the vicinity of Jupiter’s moons
1 August, 2018 by Kelly Hogan
New marine-geophysical data were analyzed to investigate the sedimentary processes operating on the continental slope north of Nordaustlandet, Svalbard. Kvitøya Trough terminates in a trough-mouth fan (TMF) on the slope,…1 August, 2018 by Kelly Hogan
The Disko Trough-Mouth Fan (TMF) is a major submarine sediment fan located along the central west Greenland continental margin offshore of Disko Trough. The location of the TMF at the…1 August, 2018 by Lloyd Peck, Michael Thorne, Michelle King, Melody Clark
1.Phenotypic plasticity is essential for the persistence of organisms under changing environmental conditions but the control of the relevant cellular mechanisms including which genes are involved and the regulation of…Read more on Life in the intertidal: cellular responses, methylation and epigenetics
1 August, 2018 by Brent Minchew
Remote sensing technology is an essential link in the global monitoring of the ocean surface, and radars are efficient sensors for detecting marine pollution. When used operationally by authorities, a…1 August, 2018 by Philip Trathan
To understand and predict current and future distributions of animals under a changing climate it is essential to establish historical ranges as baselines against which distribution shifts can be assessed.…Read more on Managing for change: Using vertebrate at sea habitat use to direct management efforts
1 August, 2018 by Gareth Marshall, Rebecca Vignols
Arctic Fennoscandia has undergone significant climate change over recent decades. Reanalysis data sets allow us to understand the atmospheric processes driving such changes. Here we evaluate four reanalyses against observations…