1 June, 2017 by Ed King, Michael McCarthy, Hamish Pritchard, Michael McCarthy
Supraglacial debris thickness is a key control on the surface energy balance of debris-covered glaciers, yet debris thickness measurements are sparse due to difficulties of data collection. Here we use…Read more on Ground-penetrating radar measurements of debris thickness on Lirung Glacier, Nepal
1 June, 2017 by Richard Phillips
Given the potential role of telomeres as biomarkers of individual health and ageing, there is an increasing interest in studying telomere dynamics in a wider range of taxa in the…1 June, 2017 by Peter Convey
Snow melt in the Antarctic Peninsula Region has increased significantly in recent decades, leading to greater liquid water availability across a more expansive area. As a consequence, changes in the…Read more on Microbes influence the biogeochemical and optical properties of maritime Antarctic snow
1 June, 2017 by Robert Arthern
Evolution of cold dry snow and firn plays important roles in glaciology; however, the physical formulation of a densification law is still an active research topic. We forced eight firn-densification…Read more on Firn Model Intercomparison Experiment (FirnMICE)
1 June, 2017 by Sandra McInnes, Sandra McInnes
The origin of the Antarctic continental extant fauna is a highly debated topic, complicated by the paucity of organisms for which we have clear biogeographic distributions and understanding of their…1 June, 2017 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, James Smith
Subglacial lakes are widespread beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet but their control on ice-sheet dynamics and their ability to harbour life remain poorly characterized. Here we present evidence for a…Read more on Evidence for a palaeo-subglacial lake on the Antarctic continental shelf
1 June, 2017 by David Barnes, Geraint Tarling
Most of Earth’s surface is blue or white, but how much of each would depend on the time of observation. Our planet has been through phases of snowball (all frozen),…1 June, 2017 by Sandra McInnes, Sandra McInnes
This paper is the fourth monograph in a series that describes the global records of limno-terrestrial water bears (Tardigrada). Here, we provide a comprehensive list of non-marine tardigrades recorded from…Read more on Annotated zoogeography of non-marine Tardigrada. Part IV: Africa
1 June, 2017 by Emilie Capron
The Last Interglacial (LIG, ~129-116 thousand years Before Present, hereafter ka) represents an ideal case study to understand the climate mechanisms at play under a warmer-than-present climate. However a spatio-temporal…1 June, 2017 by Emilie Capron
Polar ice cores provide exceptional archives of past environmental conditions. The dating of ice cores and the estimation of the age-scale uncertainty are essential to interpret the climate and environmental…1 June, 2017 by Emma Woodfield
We present Jovian auroral observations from the 2014 January Hubble Space Telescope (HST) campaign and characterize the auroral second oval feature with particular attention to the response to hot plasma…1 June, 2017 by Mark Clilverd
It is well known that auroral patterns at the substorm recovery phase are characterized by diffuse or patch structures with intensity pulsation. According to satellite measurements and simulation studies, the…Read more on Energetic electron precipitation and auroral morphology at the substorm recovery phase
1 June, 2017 by Keith Nicholls
Polar oceans are poorly monitored despite the important role they play in regulating Earth’s climate system. Marine mammals equipped with biologging devices are now being used to fill the data…Read more on Marine mammals exploring the oceans pole to pole: a review of the MEOP Consortium
1 June, 2017 by Chester Sands
The Antarctic Polar Front (APF) is one of the most well-defined and persistent oceanographic features on the planet and serves as a barrier to dispersal between the Southern Ocean and…1 June, 2017
Malcolm Roy Clarke (1930–2013) was a British teuthologist who made an important contribution to marine science in the Azores archipelago (Portugal). Malcolm started doing research in the Azores from 1980s…Read more on The role of Malcolm Clarke (1930–2013) in the Azores as a scientist and educationist
1 June, 2017 by Chester Sands, David Barnes, Elanor Gowland, Oliver Hogg, Peter Enderlein, Simon Morley
Recent studies have improved our understanding of nearshore marine ecosystems surrounding Ascension Island (central Atlantic Ocean), but little is known about Ascension's benthic environment beyond its shallow coastal waters. Here,…11 May, 2017 by Hamish Pritchard
The high mountains of Asia—encompassing the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, Pamir Alai, Kunlun Shan, and Tian Shan mountains—have the highest concentration of glaciers globally, and 800 million people depend…Read more on Asia’s glaciers are a regionally important buffer against drought [Retracted article]
6 May, 2017 by Brent Minchew
The increase in maritime traffic, particularly the transport of hazardous and noxious substances (HNSs), requires advanced methods of identification and characterization in environmental chemical spills. Knowledge about HNS monitoring using…4 May, 2017 by Elisabeth Biersma, Peter Convey
The development of evidence-based international strategies for the conservation and management of Arctic ecosystems in the face of climate change is hindered by critical knowledge gaps in Arctic floristic diversity…Read more on Future directions and priorities for Arctic bryophyte research
1 May, 2017 by Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith
The Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is a highly productive marine environment that is undergoing rapid change, with consequences for productivity and total ecosystem carbon cycling. We present continuous underway O2/Ar…1 May, 2017 by Andrew Clarke, Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith
The Southern Ocean is a key region for silica (Si) cycling, and the isotopic signatures established here influence the rest of the world's oceans. The climate and ecosystem of the…1 May, 2017 by Andrew Clarke, Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith
Nutrient supply, uptake and cycling underpin high primary productivity over the continental shelf of the west Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). Here we use a suite of biogeochemical and isotopic data collected…1 May, 2017 by Michael Meredith
Rapid climatic changes in the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) have led to considerable changes in the meteoric freshwater input into the surrounding ocean, with implications for ocean circulation, the marine…1 May, 2017 by Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith
The silicon isotope composition (δ30Si) of dissolved silicon (DSi) and biogenic silica (BSi) provides information about the silicon cycle and its role in oceanic carbon uptake in the modern ocean…1 May, 2017 by Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith
The Western Antarctic Peninsula warmed significantly during the second half of the twentieth century, with a concurrent retreat of the majority of its glaciers, and marked changes in the sea-ice…1 May, 2017 by Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith
Barium cycling in the ocean is associated with a number of processes, including the production and recycling of organic matter, freshwater fluxes, and phenomena that affect alkalinity. As a result,…Read more on Coastal barium cycling at the West Antarctic Peninsula
1 May, 2017 by Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith
The Western Antarctic Peninsula has recently undergone rapid climatic warming, with associated decreases in sea ice extent and duration, and increases in precipitation and glacial discharge to the ocean. These…1 May, 2017 by Hugh Venables, Alexander Brearley, Michael Meredith
Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) intrudes from the mid-layers of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current onto the shelf of the western Antarctic Peninsula, providing a source of heat and nutrients to the…1 May, 2017 by Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith
The carbon cycle in seasonally sea-ice covered waters remains poorly understood due to both a lack of observational data and the complexity of the system. Here we present three consecutive…Read more on The seasonal cycle of carbonate system processes in Ryder Bay, West Antarctic Peninsula
1 May, 2017 by David Barnes
There are a number of remote archipelagos distributed between 45 and 60 °S. The biota of these islands provide useful information to describe and understand patterns in biodiversity and biogeography…1 May, 2017 by Xin Yang
An environmental scanning electron microscope was used for the first time to obtain well-resolved images, in both temporal and spatial dimensions, of lab-prepared frost flowers (FFs) under evaporation within the…1 May, 2017 by Hugh Venables, Mairi Fenton, Michael Meredith
The polar oceans are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification; the lowering of seawater pH and carbonate mineral saturation states due to uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). High spatial variability…1 May, 2017 by Gary Llewellyn
The AisaOWL is a recent-to-market thermal hyperspectral instrument. As such, there is little information about the sensor performance in the literature. The sensor covers the 7.6-12.6 μm part of the…1 May, 2017 by Hugh Venables, Alexander Brearley, Michael Meredith
The ocean-to-atmosphere heat budget of the West Antarctic Peninsula is controlled in part by the upward flux of heat from the warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) layer that resides below…Read more on Controls on turbulent mixing on the West Antarctic Peninsula shelf
1 May, 2017 by Deborah Pardo
Climate changes include concurrent changes in environmental mean, variance and extremes, and it is challenging to understand their respective impact on wild populations, especially when contrasted age-dependent responses to climate…1 May, 2017 by Kelly Hogan
Wahlenbergfjorden is a fjord situated in the western part of Nordaustlandet in northern Svalbard. It leads into the 400 m deep Hinlopen Strait located between Nordaustlandet and Spitsbergen. High-resolution multibeam…1 May, 2017 by Paul Holland
We use borehole optical televiewing (OPTV) to explore the internal structure of Larsen C Ice Shelf (LCIS). We report a suite of five ~90 m long OPTV logs, recording a…Read more on Ice and firn heterogeneity within Larsen C Ice Shelf from borehole optical televiewing
1 May, 2017 by Dag Arne Lorentzen, Lisa Baddeley
Observations of multiple equatorward propagating arcs driven by a resonant Alfvén wave on closed field lines are presented. Data sets from the European Incoherent Scatter Svalbard Radar (ESR) and Meridian…1 May, 2017 by Richard Horne
The role of plasma waves in shaping the intense Jovian radiation belts is not well understood. In this study we use a realistic wave model based on an extensive survey…28 April, 2017 by Alex Brisbourne, Andy Smith, Carlos Martin Garcia, Emma Smith
Here we present new measurements of an anisotropic ice fabric in a fast moving (377 ma−1) ice stream in West Antarctica. We use ∼6000 measurements of shear wave splitting observed…Read more on Ice fabric in an Antarctic ice stream interpreted from seismic anisotropy
24 April, 2017 by Xin Yang
Current understanding of mercury (Hg) behavior in the atmosphere contains significant gaps. Some key characteristics of Hg processes, including anthropogenic and geogenic emissions, atmospheric chemistry, and air–surface exchange, are still…20 April, 2017 by Adrian Jenkins
Pine Island Ice Shelf, in the Amundsen Sea, is losing mass because of warm ocean waters melting the ice from below. Tracing meltwater pathways from ice shelves is important for…Read more on Glacial meltwater identification in the Amundsen Sea
18 April, 2017 by Carlos Martin Garcia, Hilmar Gudmundsson
Knowledge of the ice thickness distribution of glaciers and ice caps is an important prerequisite for many glaciological and hydrological investigations. A wealth of approaches has recently been presented for…1 April, 2017 by Gareth Marshall, Scott Hosking, John Turner, Thomas Bracegirdle, Tony Phillips
We investigate variability and trends of the Southern Hemisphere quasi-stationary planetary waves over 1979–2013 using the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Interim reanalyses. The effects of tropical and…1 April, 2017 by Peter Convey
As High Arctic environments are particularly sensitive to global and regional climate changes, a growing number of studies have focused on that region. It has been shown that living and…1 April, 2017 by Michael Thorne
The Antarctic nematode, Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1 (formerly called Panagrolaimus davidi), is the best documented example of an organism able to survive intracellular ice formation in all of its compartments. Not…Read more on Molecular snapshot of an intracellular freezing event in an Antarctic nematode
1 April, 2017 by Gareth Marshall, Hua Lu, John Turner
The effects of solar activity on the stratospheric waveguides and downward reflection of planetary waves during northern early to mid- winter are examined. Under high solar (HS) conditions enhanced westerly…1 April, 2017 by Geraint Tarling, Gabriele Stowasser, Martin Collins, Ryan Saunders
The biomass of mesopelagic fish in the Southern Ocean is one of the largest of any ocean region and is dominated (both in terms of diversity and biomass) by myctophids…1 April, 2017 by Claire Allen, Dominic Hodgson, Louise Ireland, Peter Fretwell, Stephen Roberts
Changes in penguin populations on the Antarctic Peninsula have been linked to several environmental factors, but the potentially devastating impact of volcanic activity has not been considered. Here we use…Read more on Past penguin colony responses to explosive volcanism on the Antarctic Peninsula
1 April, 2017 by Richard Phillips
We investigated the physiology of two closely related albatross species relative to their breeding strategy: black-browed albatrosses (Thalassarche melanophris) breed annually, while grey-headed albatrosses (T. chrysostoma) breed biennially. From observations…Read more on Costs of reproduction and carry-over effects in breeding albatrosses
1 April, 2017 by Kelly Hogan
Observations of subglacial landforms yielding the configuration and dynamics of former ice-flows have for the first time been made in Rijpfjorden and Duvefjorden, Nordaustlandet, Svalbard, using sub-bottom acoustic, swath-bathymetric data…1 April, 2017 by Richard Phillips
Bycatch in longline fisheries is a major contributor to the global decline of albatrosses. Sexual segregation at sea often leads to unequal overlap with different fisheries, resulting in sex-biased bycatch,…1 April, 2017 by Peter Convey
Three sympatric springtail species, from the South Shetland Islands archipelago in the maritime Antarctic, are analysed here in a common biogeographic and evolutionary framework. This study was designed to compare…1 April, 2017 by Andrew Kavanagh, Jade Reidy, Jade Reidy
This paper presents observations of polar cap auroral features on 19 January 2008, evaluated using multiple instruments with near-simultaneous observations in both hemispheres. Analysis of the features indicates that there…1 April, 2017 by David Pearce, Peter Convey
A taxonomic study was performed on a novel Gram-stain-positive, coccus-shaped, orange-pigmented motile bacterium, designated as strain L10.15T. The organism was isolated from a soil sample collected in Lagoon Island (close…Read more on Planococcus versutus sp. nov., isolated from soil
1 April, 2017 by Brent Minchew
Ocean tides influence the flow of marine-terminating glaciers. Observations indicate that the large fortnightly variations in ice flow at Rutford Ice Stream in West Antarctica originate in the floating ice…Read more on Tidal modulation of ice shelf buttressing stresses
31 March, 2017 by Derren Fox, Geraint Tarling, Philip Trathan, Stacey Adlard
Knowledge about sexual segregation and gender-specific, or indeed individual specialization, in marine organisms has improved considerably in the past decade. In this context, we tested the “Intersexual Competition Hypothesis” for…28 March, 2017 by Peter Convey
The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, adopted under the auspices of the Convention on Biological Diversity, provides the basis for taking effective action to curb biodiversity loss across the planet by…Read more on Antarctica and the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020
24 March, 2017 by Anna Belcher, Clara Manno, Geraint Tarling, Peter Ward
The faecal pellets (FP) of zooplankton can be important vehicles for the transfer of particulate organic carbon (POC) to the deep ocean, often making large contributions to carbon sequestration. However,…17 March, 2017 by Dominic Hodgson, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand
The history of glaciations on Southern Hemisphere sub-polar islands is unclear. Debate surrounds the extent and timing of the last glacial advance and termination on sub-Antarctic South Georgia in particular.…16 March, 2017 by Rosie Williams, Robert Arthern
We use an ice sheet model with realistic initial conditions to forecast how the Amundsen Sea sector of West Antarctica responds to recently observed rates of submarine melting. In these…Read more on The sensitivity of West Antarctica to the submarine melting feedback
16 March, 2017 by Richard Horne
We analyze the propagation properties of low-altitude hiss emission in the ionosphere observed by DEMETER (Detection of Electromagnetic Emissions Transmitted from Earthquake Regions). There exist two types of low-altitude hiss:…Read more on Source of the low-altitude hiss in the ionosphere
15 March, 2017 by Victoria Sleight
Microplastics (MPs) are prevalent in marine ecosystems. Because toxicants (termed here “co-contaminants”) can sorb to MPs, there is potential for MPs to alter co-contaminant bioavailability. Our objective was to demonstrate…15 March, 2017 by Liz Thomas
Occupying 14% of the world’s surface, the Southern Ocean plays a fundamental role in global climate, ocean circulation, carbon cycling and Antarctic ice-sheet stability. Unfortunately, high interannual variability and a…1 March, 2017 by Kevin Newsham
Gelifluction, thixotropy and yield stress were measured from < 5 g soil samples taken from Signy, Alectoria, Greenwich, Wiencke and Livingston islands in the maritime Antarctic using a temperature-controlled rotational…1 March, 2017 by Ingrid Cnossen
The solar-wind magnetosphere interaction primarily occurs at altitudes where the dipole component of Earth’s magnetic field is dominating. The disturbances that are created in this interaction propagate along magnetic field…Read more on North-South asymmetries in Earth’s magnetic field
1 March, 2017 by Ingrid Cnossen
The Earth’s internal magnetic field controls to a degree the strength, geographic positioning, and structure of currents flowing in the ionosphere and magnetosphere, which produce their own (external) magnetic fields.…1 March, 2017 by Teal Riley
Early Jurassic silicic volcanic rocks of the Chon Aike Province (V1: 187 – 182 Ma) are recognized from many localities in the southern Antarctic Peninsula and NE Patagonia and are essentially coeval with…1 March, 2017 by Kevin Hughes
The on-going introduction of non-native species to Antarctica due to expanding human activity presents an increasing threat to biodiversity. Under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, all…1 March, 2017 by Rob Shore
The Earth’s magnetic field as it is measured by low-Earth orbit satellites such as Swarm and CHAMP results from the superposition of internal and external source fields overlapping in time…Read more on Magnetic field data correction in space for modelling the lithospheric magnetic field
1 March, 2017 by Meltem Ok
In this study, the DNA barcode of a regional Lessepsian sighting of the slender ponyfish Equulites elongatus is integrated with morphometric and meristic descriptors as a case study to address…1 March, 2017 by Will Goodall-Copestake
The DNA barcode within the mitochondrial cox1 gene is typically used to assess the identity and diversity of animals under the assumption that individuals contain a single form of this…1 March, 2017 by Rob Shore
Measurements of the Earth’s magnetic field collected by low-Earth-orbit satellites such as Swarm and CHAMP, as well as at ground observatories, are dominated by sources in the Earth’s interior. However…1 March, 2017 by Hugh Corr
We present a compilation of radio-echo sounding (RES) measurements of five radar systems (AWI, BAS, CReSIS, INGV and UTIG) around the EPICA Dome C (EDC) drill site, East Antarctica. The…1 March, 2017 by Dave Munday
The Southern Ocean plays a pivotal role in climate change by exchanging heat and carbon, and provides the primary window for the global deep ocean to communicate with the atmosphere.…1 March, 2017 by Claire Waluda, Helen Peat, Philip Trathan, Simeon Hill
Inter-annual variability in diet during crèche (December to February) over 22 years (1989–2010) was examined for gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua breeding at Bird Island, South Georgia (54°00′S, 38°03′W). Overall, diets…1 March, 2017 by Michael Meredith
Sea ice around Antarctica plays a key role in determining the properties and circulation of the underlying Southern Ocean across a range of scales, whilst simultaneously numerous ocean processes impact…1 March, 2017 by Fausto Ferraccioli, Hugh Corr, Tom Jordan
Unravelling the long-term evolution of the subglacial landscape of Antarctica is vital for understanding past ice sheet dynamics and stability, particularly in marine-based sectors of the ice sheet. Here, we…1 March, 2017 by Katrin Linse
Background Extreme environments prompt the evolution of characteristic adaptations. Yet questions remain about whether radiations in extreme environments originate from a single lineage that masters a key adaptive pathway, or…1 March, 2017 by David Barnes
The western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is a hotspot of rapid recent regional ‘climate change’. This has resulted in a 0.4°C rise in sea temperature in the last 50 years, five…1 March, 2017 by Adrian Jenkins, Andrew Orr, Hilmar Gudmundsson, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, John Turner, Thomas Bracegirdle
Over recent decades outlet glaciers of the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE), West Antarctica, have accelerated, thinned and retreated, and are now contributing approximately 10% to global sea level rise. All…Read more on Atmosphere-ocean-ice interactions in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica
1 March, 2017 by Andy Smith
Amplitude analysis of reflection seismic data reveals the presence of highly variable bed conditions under the main sticky spot and adjacent regions of the Kamb Ice Stream (KIS—formerly ice stream…Read more on Characteristics of the sticky spot of Kamb Ice Stream, West Antarctica
1 March, 2017 by Geraint Tarling, Helen Peat, Laura Gerrish, Peter Fretwell, Peter Ward, Simeon Hill, Sophie Fielding
Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and salps are major macroplankton contributors to Southern Ocean food webs and krill are also fished commercially. Managing this fishery sustainably, against a backdrop of rapid…1 March, 2017
The distribution of oceanic cephalopod species is not fully understood but seabirds, which feed on cephalopods and cover vast oceanic areas, might work as samplers and mappers of the occurrence…Read more on Using seabirds to map the distribution of elusive pelagic cephalopod species
1 March, 2017 by John Turner
The Antarctic sea ice extent has been slowly increasing contrary to expected trends due to global warming and results from coupled climate models. After a record high extent in 2012…1 March, 2017 by Dag Arne Lorentzen, Lisa Baddeley
A study is undertaken into parameters of the polar auroral and geomagnetic pulsations in the frequency range 1–4 mHz (Pc5∕Pi3) during quiet geomagnetic intervals preceding auroral substorms and non-substorm background variations.…1 March, 2017 by Louise Sime, Robert Mulvaney
In order to understand atmospheric methane (CH4) biogeochemistry now and in the future, we must apprehend its natural variability, without anthropogenic influence. Samples of ancient air trapped within ice cores…Read more on Atmospheric methane variability: Centennial-scale signals in the Last Glacial Period
1 March, 2017 by Geraint Tarling
Euphausiid crustaceans, commonly referred to as krill, are fast-moving, pelagic, exclusively marine, and found in all oceans generally below 50 m. While restricted to only 86 species in two families,…1 March, 2017 by John King
The record high temperature for regions south of 60°S latitude is a balmy 19.8°C (67.6°F), recorded 30 January 1982 at a research station on Signy Island.Read more on Evaluating highest temperature extremes for the Antarctic region
24 February, 2017 by Jean-Baptiste Sallee
Contrasting regional changes in Southern Ocean sea ice have occurred over the last 30 years with distinct regional effects on ecosystem structure and function. Quantifying how Antarctic predators respond to…24 February, 2017 by Andrew Orr
Atmospheric gravity waves yield substantial small-scale temperature fluctuations that can trigger the formation of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). This paper introduces a new satellite record of gravity wave activity in…22 February, 2017 by Andrew Clarke, Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith
An eight year time-series in the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) with an approximately weekly sampling frequency was used to elucidate changes in virioplankton abundance and their drivers in this climatically-sensitive…22 February, 2017 by David Pearce, Peter Convey
Planococcus is a Gram-positive halotolerant bacterial genus in the phylum Firmicutes, commonly found in various habitats in Antarctica. Quorum quenching (QQ) is the disruption of bacterial cell-to-cell communication (known as…Read more on AidP, a novel N-Acyl Homoserine Lactonase gene from Antarctic Planococcus sp.
15 February, 2017 by Peter Convey
Iron supplied by glacial weathering results in pronounced hotspots of biological production in an otherwise iron-limited Southern Ocean Ecosystem. However, glacial iron inputs are thought to be dominated by icebergs.…9 February, 2017 by Adrian Jenkins, Pierre Dutrieux, Satoshi Kimura
The instability and accelerated melting of the Antarctic Ice Sheet are among the foremost elements of contemporary global climate change1, 2. The increased freshwater output from Antarctica is important in…Read more on Vigorous lateral export of the meltwater outflow from beneath an Antarctic ice shelf