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…1 August, 2018 by Andrew Orr, Ella Gilbert, John King
The occurrence of surface melt in Antarctica has hitherto been associated with the austral summer season, when the dominant source of melt energy is provided by solar radiation. We use…Read more on Intense winter surface melt on an Antarctic ice shelf
1 August, 2018 by Will Goodall-Copestake
Identifying genetic cues of functional relevance is key to understanding the drivers of evolution and increasingly important for the conservation of biodiversity. This study introduces nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) to…1 August, 2018 by Stephanie Winnard
Variation in the phenology of avian taxa has long been studied to understand how a species reacts to environmental changes over both space and time. Penguins (Sphenicidae) serve as an…1 August, 2018 by Richard Horne
This paper presents observations of EMIC waves from multiple data sources during the four GEM challenge events in 2013 selected by the GEM “Quantitative Assessment of Radiation Belt Modeling” focus…Read more on EMIC wave events during the four GEM QARBM challenge intervals
1 August, 2018 by Jaume Forcada
Recent advances in high throughput sequencing have transformed the study of wild organisms by facilitating the generation of high quality genome assemblies and dense genetic marker datasets. These resources have…1 August, 2018 by Philip Trathan
1.Collecting spatially extensive data on phenology and reproductive success is important for seabird conservation and management, but can be logistically challenging in remote regions. Autonomous time‐lapse camera systems offer an…1 August, 2018 by Eugene Murphy, Emma Young, Philip Trathan, Victoria Warwick-Evans
In the Southern Ocean, the at‐sea distributions of most predators of Antarctic krill are poorly known, primarily because tracking studies have only been undertaken on a restricted set of species,…1 August, 2018 by Brent Minchew, Hilmar Gudmundsson
Ice rheology governs how glaciers flow and respond to environmental change. The rheology of glacier ice evolves in response to a variety of mechanisms, including damage, heating, melting and the…1 August, 2018 by Keith Nicholls, Tun Jan Young
The phase-sensitive radio-echo sounder (pRES) is a powerful new instrument that can measure the depth of internal layers and the glacier bed to millimetre accuracy. We use a stationary 16-antenna…26 July, 2018 by Hamish Pritchard
Over the past 20 years satellite remote sensing has captured significant downwasting of glaciers that drain the West Antarctic Ice Sheet into the ocean, particularly across the Amundsen Sea Sector.…24 July, 2018 by Geraint Tarling, Sally Thorpe, Sophie Fielding
Diel vertical migration (DVM) behaviour in swarms of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba Dana, 1850) is notoriously variable, with swarms being found at a range of depths and in different shapes,…23 July, 2018 by Bianca Perren, Dominic Hodgson, Louise Sime, Stephen Roberts
The Southern Hemisphere westerly winds (SHW) play an important role in regulating the capacity of the Southern Ocean carbon sink. They modulate upwelling of carbon-rich deep water and, with sea…20 July, 2018 by Andy Smith, Claire Allen, Dominic Hodgson, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, James Smith, James Smith, Kelly Hogan, Peter Fretwell, Robert Larter, Victoria Peck
The East Antarctic Ice Sheet discharges into the Weddell Sea via the Coats Land ice margin. We have used geophysical data to determine the changing ice sheet configuration in this…Read more on Deglaciation and future stability of the Coats Land ice margin, Antarctica
19 July, 2018
Ice shelf break-up and disintegration events over the past 5 decades have led to speed-up, thinning, and retreat of upstream tributary glaciers and increases to rates of global sea-level rise.…
17 July, 2018 by Sally Thorpe
Microbes occupy diverse ecological niches and only through recent advances in next generation sequencing technologies have the true microbial diversity been revealed. Furthermore, lack of perceivable marine barriers to genetic…16 July, 2018 by Fausto Ferraccioli, Tom Jordan
The second generation Antarctic magnetic anomaly compilation (ADMAP‐2) for the region south of 60oS includes some 3.5 million line‐km of aeromagnetic and marine magnetic data that more than doubles the…16 July, 2018 by Mark Clilverd
While observed mesospheric polar nitric acid enhancements have been attributed to energetic particle precipitation through ion cluster chemistry in the past, this phenomenon is not reproduced in current whole-atmosphere chemistry-climate…6 July, 2018 by Sophie Fielding
The Southern Ocean is an important region for global nitrous oxide (N2O) cycling. The contribution of different source and sink mechanisms is, however, not very well constrained due to a…5 July, 2018 by Tejaswi Yarra
Mollusc shells are unique adaptations that serve to protect the organisms that make them, and are a defining feature of the phylum. However the molecular underpinnings of shell forming processes…Read more on Transcriptional profiling of shell calcification in bivalves
5 July, 2018
This thesis presents the first high-resolution palaeoceanographic study of environmental changes in the Amundsen Sea sector of the West Antarctic continental margin during the Late Quaternary. This part of the…5 July, 2018 by Ashleigh Massam
Three deep ice cores, obtained from Fletcher Promontory, Berkner Island, and James Ross Island across the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) and Weddell Sea region, preserve a climate record that can yield…5 July, 2018 by Hua Lu, Thomas Bracegirdle
The magnitude of observed multi‐decadal variations in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is at the upper end of the range simulated by climate models and a clear explanation for this…Read more on Do CMIP5 models reproduce observed low-frequency North Atlantic jet variability?
1 July, 2018 by Alex Burton-Johnson, Teal Riley
Long-lived continental margin arcs are characterized by episodes of large-volume magmatism (or flare-ups) that can persist for ∼30 m.y. before steady-state arc conditions resume. Flare-up events are characterized by the…1 July, 2018 by Roger Worland, Peter Convey
Ground temperatures in the top few centimetres of the soil profile are key in many biological processes yet remain very poorly documented, especially in the polar regions or over longer…1 July, 2018 by Richard Phillips, Thomas Clay, Thomas Clay
1.Senescence has been widely documented in wild vertebrate populations, yet the proximate drivers of age‐related declines in breeding success, including allocation trade‐offs and links with foraging performance, are poorly understood.…1 July, 2018 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand
Geochemical provenance studies of glacial-marine sediments provide a powerful approach to describe subglacial geology, sediment transport pathways, and past ice sheet dynamics. The marine-based West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is…1 July, 2018 by Richard Phillips
We present the first detailed data on the distribution and migration patterns of four pelagic seabird species in the Eastern Indian Ocean—the Lesser Noddy (Anous tenuirostris melanops), Brown Noddy (Anous…1 July, 2018 by Beatrix Schlarb-Ridley
Safe and accepted limits for nitrates in drinking water are exceeded in around one-third of the groundwater bodies in Europe. Whilst anion exchange (AEX) is an effective technology to strip…Read more on Growth of microalgae using nitrate-rich brine wash from the water industry
1 July, 2018 by Andrew Kavanagh, David Newnham, Mark Clilverd
Nitric oxide (NO) produced in the polar middle and upper atmosphere by energetic particle precipitation depletes ozone in the mesosphere and, following vertical transport in the winter polar vortex, in…1 July, 2018 by Katrin Linse
The Maud Rise seamount (65°07.80′S 2°39.60′E), a distinct habitat in the Southern Ocean, was studied during the ANDEEP-SYSTCO expedition in 2007–2008 to describe its unique benthic assemblage, characterised by higher…1 July, 2018 by Liz Thomas, Rebecca Tuckwell, Robert Mulvaney
West Antarctic climate and surface mass balance (SMB) records are sparse. To fill this gap, regional atmospheric climate modelling is useful, providing that such models are employed at sufficiently high…1 July, 2018 by Hugh Corr
The catchments of Pine Island Glacier and Thwaites Glacier in the Amundsen Sea Embayment are two of the largest, most rapidly changing, and potentially unstable sectors of the West Antarctic…Read more on Ocean access beneath the southwest tributary of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica
1 July, 2018 by Robert Mulvaney
Ice core records from Antarctica show mostly synchronous temperature variations during the last deglacial transition, an indication that the climate of the entire continent reacted as one unit to the…1 July, 2018 by Andrew Meijers, Eugene Murphy, Geraint Tarling, Jamie Oliver, Jeremy Wilkinson, John Turner, Layla Batchellier, Linda Capper, Mark Belchier, Michael Meredith, Paul Holland, Philip Trathan, Simeon Hill
The vast frozen worlds of the Polar Regions are a major component of the Earth’s global climate system. The polar oceans are amongst the least understood environments on our planet.…Read more on The state of the polar oceans 2018: making sense of our changing world
1 July, 2018 by Richard Horne
Signals of powerful ground transmitters at various places have been detected by satellites in near‐Earth space. The study on propagation mode, ducted or nonducted, has attracted much attentions for several…Read more on Observed propagation route of VLF transmitter signals in the magnetosphere
28 June, 2018 by Emma Cross, Lloyd Peck
The inability of organisms to cope in changing environments poses a major threat to their survival. Rising carbon dioxide concentrations, recently exceeding 400 μatm, are rapidly warming and acidifying our…Read more on A 120-year record of resilience to environmental change in brachiopods
25 June, 2018 by Anna Belcher, Clara Manno, Geraint Tarling, Sally Thorpe
The abundance and flux of acantharian cysts were recorded for a period of 12 months from December 2012 to 2013 in a sediment trap deployed at 1500 m in the…25 June, 2018 by Emilie Capron, Max Holloway
Over the past 3.5 million years, there have been several intervals when climate conditions were warmer than during the preindustrial Holocene. Although past intervals of warming were forced differently than…Read more on Palaeoclimate constraints on the impact of 2 °C anthropogenic warming and beyond
20 June, 2018 by Alexander Tate, Hilary Blagbrough, Huw Griffiths, Katrin Linse, Oliver Hogg, Peter Enderlein, Philip Trathan, Susie Grant
The South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf (SOISS) Marine Protected Area (MPA) was the first MPA to be designated entirely within the high seas and is managed under the Commission for…Read more on Benthic biodiversity in the South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf Marine Protected Area
18 June, 2018 by Peter Convey
The South Sandwich Islands are a relatively pristine volcanic archipelago in the Southern Ocean that experience high levels of natural disturbance. The archipelago spans the biological transition between the sub-Antarctic…Read more on The South Sandwich Islands – a community of meta-populations across all trophic levels
16 June, 2018 by Xin Yang
The sea ice surface is thought to be a major source of sea salt aerosol, suggesting that sodium records of polar ice cores may trace past sea ice extent. Here…Read more on Sea ice versus storms: what controls sea salt in Arctic ice cores?
15 June, 2018 by Robert Larter
Pine Island Glacier is the largest current Antarctic contributor to sea level rise. Its ice loss has substantially increased over the last 25 years through thinning, acceleration and grounding line…Read more on Bathymetric controls on calving processes at Pine Island Glacier
14 June, 2018 by Peter Convey
In the present paper, we compare how the kelp gull, Larus dominicanus, utilizes various nest building materials, particularly vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens and other components, in the Fildes Peninsula area…13 June, 2018 by Hua Lu
Teleconnections between the Quasi Biennial Oscillation (QBO) and the Northern Hemisphere zonally averaged zonal winds, mean sea level pressure (mslp) and tropical precipitation are explored. The standard approach that defines…Read more on Surface impacts of the Quasi Biennial Oscillation
8 June, 2018 by Alex Brisbourne, Andy Smith, Hugh Corr, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Keith Nicholls, Paul Anker, Peter Davis, Sebastian Rosier
The Filchner‐Ronne Ice Shelf, the ocean cavity beneath it and the Weddell Sea that bounds it, form an important part of the global climate system by modulating ice discharge from…5 June, 2018 by Elisabeth Biersma, Jennifer Jackson, Katrin Linse, Peter Convey
From glacial reconstructions it is clear that Antarctic terrestrial life must have been extremely limited throughout Quaternary glacial periods. In contrast, recent biological studies provide clear evidence for long-term in…5 June, 2018 by Iain Staniland, Jaume Forcada, Norman Ratcliffe, Philip Trathan
Leopard seals are an important Antarctic apex predator that can affect marine ecosystems through local predation. Here we report on the successful use of micro geolocation logging sensor tags to…1 June, 2018 by Huw Griffiths, Katrin Linse, Oliver Hogg
In recent years very large marine protected areas (VLMPAs) have become the dominant form of spatial protection in the marine environment. Whilst seen as a holistic and geopolitically achievable approach…1 June, 2018 by Joanne Johnson, Liz Thomas
Measurements of snow accumulation are critical for reliable prediction of future ice mass loss and hence projections of sea level change. However, there are currently very few published in situ…Read more on In situ measurements of snow accumulation in the Amundsen Sea Embayment during 2016
1 June, 2018 by Iain Staniland, Philip Trathan, Richard Phillips
Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is becoming a key management approach throughout the world. The process includes the mapping of how humans and wildlife use the marine environment to inform the…1 June, 2018 by Alistair Crame
A survey of 759 predatory drill holes in Late Cretaceous and Paleogene molluscan and serpulid worm prey from Seymour Island (Antarctica) has allowed exploration of the effects of the K-Pg…1 June, 2018 by Hugh Venables, Alexander Brearley, Michael Meredith
The spatial distribution, biogeochemical cycling and external sources of dissolved iron and dissolved manganese (DFe and DMn) were investigated in Ryder Bay, a small coastal embayment of the West Antarctic…Read more on Evidences of strong sources of DFe and DMn in Ryder Bay, Western Antarctic Peninsula
1 June, 2018 by Mark Clilverd
Using data covering the years 2005‐2009, we study the linear and nonlinear responses of log10 relativistic electron flux measured at geosynchronous orbit to ULF Pc5, VLF lower band chorus, and…1 June, 2018 by Andrew Fleming, Chester Sands, David Barnes
Sea ice, including icebergs, has a complex relationship with the carbon held within animals (blue carbon) in the polar regions. Sea-ice losses around West Antarctica's continental shelf generate longer phytoplankton…Read more on Icebergs, sea ice, blue carbon and Antarctic climate feedbacks
1 June, 2018 by Michael Meredith
The West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP; figure 1) is one of the most climatically sensitive regions on Earth and one of the most variable. The strong climatic variability gives us the…Read more on The marine system of the West Antarctic Peninsula: status and strategy for progress
1 June, 2018 by Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith, Sabrina Heiser
The West Antarctic Peninsula shelf is a region of high seasonal primary production which supports a large and productive food web, where macronutrients and inorganic carbon are sourced primarily from…1 June, 2018 by Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith
The West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is a climatically sensitive region where periods of strong warming have caused significant changes in the marine ecosystem and food-web processes. Tight coupling between phytoplankton…1 June, 2018 by Michael Meredith
Glacial meltwater discharge from Antarctica is a key influence on the marine environment, impacting ocean circulation, sea level and productivity of the pelagic and benthic ecosystems. The responses elicited depend…Read more on Anatomy of a glacial meltwater discharge event in an Antarctic Cove
1 June, 2018 by Michael Meredith
The West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is a highly productive marine ecosystem where extended periods of change have been observed in the form of glacier retreat, reduction of sea-ice cover and…Read more on Shelf-ocean exchange and hydrography west of the Antarctic Peninsula: A review
1 June, 2018 by Michael Meredith
Palmer Deep (PD) is one of several regional hotspots of biological productivity along the inner shelf of the West Antarctic Peninsula. The proximity of hotspots to shelf-crossing deep troughs has…1 June, 2018 by Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith
The Southern Ocean is a hotspot of the climate-relevant organic sulfur compound dimethyl sulfide (DMS). Spatial and temporal variability in DMS concentration is higher than in any other oceanic region,…