1 May, 2018 by Fausto Ferraccioli, Hugh Corr, Tom Jordan
Hypothesized drawdown of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) through the ‘bottleneck’ zone between East and West Antarctica would have significant impacts for a large proportion of the Antarctic Ice…1 May, 2018
El Niño Southern Oscillation events have global implications both climatologically and socio-economically. One such climatological teleconnection is manifested in the Amundsen Sea region (ASR). The Amundsen sea low (ASL) is…1 May, 2018 by Iain Staniland
The implicit assumption of many ecological studies is that animal behaviour and resource use are geographically uniform. However, central place foraging species often have geographically isolated breeding colonies that are…Read more on Geographic variation in the foraging behaviour of South American fur seals
1 May, 2018 by Michael McCarthy, Michael McCarthy
Debris‐covered glaciers are ubiquitous in the Himalaya, and supraglacial debris significantly alters how glaciers respond to climate forcing. Estimating debris thickness at the glacier scale, however, remains a challenge. This…29 April, 2018 by Elisabeth Biersma, Jennifer Jackson, Katrin Linse, Peter Convey, Thomas Bracegirdle
The Antarctic–South American bank-forming moss Chorisodontium aciphyllum is known for having the oldest sub-fossils of any extant plant in Antarctica as well as extreme survival abilities, making it a candidate…18 April, 2018 by Neil Brough
Optical trapping combined with Mie spectroscopy is a new technique used to record the refractive index of insoluble organic material extracted from atmospheric aerosol samples over a wide wavelength range.…16 April, 2018 by Thomas Bracegirdle
This study investigates the global response of the midlatitude atmospheric circulation to 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C of warming using the HAPPI "Half a degree Additional warming, Projections, Prognosis and Impacts" ensemble,…16 April, 2018 by Andrew Orr
The Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) instrument aboard the European Space Agency (ESA) Envisat satellite operated from July 2002 to April 2012. The infrared limb emission measurements provide…16 April, 2018 by Liz Thomas, Markus Frey, Robert Mulvaney
The Northern Hemisphere experienced dramatic changes during the last glacial, featuring vast ice sheets and abrupt climate events, while high northern latitudes during the last interglacial (Eemian) were warmer than…11 April, 2018 by Hilmar Gudmundsson, Teresa Kyrke-Smith
Given high-resolution satellite-derived surface elevation and velocity data, ice-sheet models generally estimate mechanical basal boundary conditions using surface-to-bed inversion methods. In this work, we address the sensitivity of results from…9 April, 2018 by Hugh Corr
We present a new bed elevation digital elevation model (DEM), with a 1 km spatial resolution, for the Weddell Sea sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The DEM has a…Read more on A new bed elevation model for the Weddell Sea sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
6 April, 2018 by Andrew Meijers, Dani Jones, Emma Boland, Emily Shuckburgh
The Labrador Sea is one of the few regions on the planet where the interior ocean can exchange heat directly with the atmosphere via strong, localized, wintertime convection, with possible…4 April, 2018 by Louise Ireland, Peter Ward, Sally Thorpe
Sea ice affects primary production in polar regions in multiple ways. It can dampen water column productivity by reducing light or nutrient supply, provide a habitat for ice algae and…1 April, 2018 by Keith Nicholls
The population of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in the southern Weddell Sea is in a unique position on the continental shelf edge, with vast shelf waters to the south, and…1 April, 2018 by Peter Convey
Mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data from two Antarctic ameronothroid mites, Halozetes belgicae and Alaskozetes antarcticus, were used to address three key questions important for understanding both the evolution of biodiversity…1 April, 2018 by Philip Trathan
Penguins are a monophyletic group in which many species are found breeding sympatrically, raising questions regarding how these species coexist successfully. Here, the isotopic niche of three sympatric pygoscelid penguin…1 April, 2018 by Amelie Kirchgaessner, John King, Jenny Turton
The eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) mountain range and the adjacent ice shelves are frequently affected by fohn winds originating from upwind of the mountains. Six automatic weather…1 April, 2018 by Andrew Meijers, Dani Jones, Alexander Brearley
In this work, we use realistic isopycnal velocities with a 3D eddy diffusivity to advect and diffuse a tracer in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, beginning in the Southeast Pacific and…1 April, 2018 by Richard Horne
Participants of the 2017 European Space Weather Week in Ostend, Belgium, discussed the stakeholder requirements for space weather related models. It was emphasized that stakeholders show an increased interest in…Read more on Discussions on stakeholder requirements for space weather related models
1 April, 2018 by Brent Minchew, Hilmar Gudmundsson
Satellite observations of gravity anomalies, ice-surface elevation and glacier velocity show significant increases in net grounded-ice-mass loss over the past decade along the Bellingshausen Sea sector (BSS), West Antarctica, in…1 April, 2018 by Andrew Wood, Michael Dunn, Richard Phillips
Reproductive timing in many taxa plays a key role in determining breeding productivity and is often sensitive to climatic conditions. Current climate change may alter the timing of breeding at…Read more on Global phenological insensitivity to shifting ocean temperatures among seabirds
1 April, 2018 by David Pearce
Cyanobacteria synthesize a large variety of secondary metabolites including toxins. Microcystins (MCs) with hepato- and neurotoxic potential are well studied in bloom-forming planktonic species of temperate and tropical regions. Cyanobacterial…1 April, 2018 by Chester Sands, David Barnes, Huw Griffiths, Katrin Linse
The present dataset is a compilation of georeferenced occurrences of asteroids (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) in the Southern Ocean. Occurrence data south of 45°S latitude were mined from various sources together with…Read more on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Asteroidea database
1 April, 2018 by Mervyn Freeman
Field‐aligned currents (FACs), also known as Birkeland currents, are the agents by which energy and momentum are transferred to the ionosphere from the magnetosphere and solar wind. This coupling is…1 April, 2018 by Richard Horne
Van Allen Probes observations are used to statistically investigate plasmaspheric hiss wave properties. This analysis shows that the wave normal direction of plasmaspheric hiss is predominantly field aligned at larger…Read more on Statistical properties of plasmaspheric hiss from Van Allen Probes observations
1 April, 2018
The genomic revolution has provided researchers with the opportunity to address broadreaching questions in ecology, evolution and conservation with greater power and precision than ever before. It is nowpossible to…1 April, 2018 by Robert Larter
Seismic reflection images of thermohaline circulation from the Bellingshausen Sea, adjacent to the West Antarctica Peninsula, were acquired during February 2015. This survey shows that bright reflectivity occurs throughout the…1 April, 2018 by Simon Morley
Aim We assess biogeographical patterns, population structure and the range of species in the pulmonate genus Siphonaria across the sub‐Antarctic. We hypothesized that locally endemic cryptic species will be found…28 March, 2018 by Fausto Ferraccioli, Hugh Corr, Tom Jordan
The region of Recovery Glacier, Slessor Glacier and Bailey Ice Stream, East Antarctica, has remained poorly explored, despite representing the largest potential contributor to future global sea level rise on…28 March, 2018 by Fabian Haumann
In contrast to the Arctic, where total sea ice extent (SIE) has been decreasing for the last three decades, Antarctic SIE has shown a small, but significant, increase during the…Read more on Atmospheric influences on the anomalous 2016 Antarctic sea ice decay
13 March, 2018 by Kevin Hughes
Antarctica's biodiversity and its intrinsic values are potentially at risk from the introduction of non-native species, derived from a range of sources including human activities. Whilst controls on introducing plants…Read more on Non-native microbial introductions: what risk to Antarctic ecosystems?
7 March, 2018 by Richard Phillips
Background Albatrosses and other large seabirds use dynamic soaring to gain sufficient energy from the wind to travel large distances rapidly and with little apparent effort. The recent development of…Read more on Flight speed and performance of the wandering albatross with respect to wind
2 March, 2018 by Andrew Fleming
With the polar regions opening up to more marine activities but iceberg numbers more likely to increase than decline as a result of global warming, the risk from icebergs to…1 March, 2018 by Bianca Perren
Well-dated and highly resolved paleoclimate records from high latitudes allow for a better understanding of past climate change. Lake sediments are excellent archives of environmental change, and can record processes…1 March, 2018 by Geraint Tarling
Chronic oil pollution related to gas and oil drilling activities is increasing in the sea due to the rising offshore petroleum industry activity. Among marine organisms, zooplankton play a crucial…1 March, 2018 by Peter Convey
Soil microbes play important roles in global carbon and nutrient cycling. Soil microfungi are generally amongst the most important contributors. They produce various extracellular hydrolase enzymes that break down the…Read more on Effects of temperature on extracellular hydrolase enzymes from soil microfungi
1 March, 2018 by Peter Convey
Phenol is an important pollutant widely discharged as a component of hydrocarbon fuels, but its degradation in cold regions is a great challenge due to the harsh environmental conditions. To…Read more on Biodegradation of phenol by cold-adapted bacteria from Antarctic soils
1 March, 2018 by Hilmar Gudmundsson
Mertz Glacier (MG) calved in February 2010 and a 70-years' calving cycle of MG was reported recently because of the shallow Mertz Bank. To better investigate the calving process, a…1 March, 2018 by Geraint Tarling, Ryan Saunders
The applicability of macroecological rules to patterns in body size varies between taxa. One of the most examined is Bergmann’s rule, which states that body size increases with decreasing temperature…Read more on Southern Ocean mesopelagic fish comply with Bergmann’s Rule
1 March, 2018
Acute shoulder dislocation is a common injury in the outdoor environment. The objective of this systematic review of the literature was to determine if intra-articular local anesthetic (IAL) is an…1 March, 2018 by James France
Ambient carbon monoxide (CO) and meteorological parameters measured at the Egham (EGH) semi-rural site in SW London during 2000–2015 have permitted wind sector analysis of diurnal and seasonal cycles, and…1 March, 2018 by Heather Regan, Michael Meredith, Paul Holland
During the second half of the twentieth century, the Antarctic Peninsula was subjected to a rapid increase in air temperatures. This was accompanied by a reduction in sea ice extent,…1 March, 2018 by Amy King, Liz Thomas
Polar ice cores provide information about past climate and environmental changes over periods ranging from a few years up to 800,000 years. The majority of chemical studies have focused on…1 March, 2018 by Alistair Crame, Jane Francis
The Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) mass extinction event 66 million years ago led to large changes to the global carbon cycle, primarily via a decrease in primary or export productivity of the…1 March, 2018 by Richard Phillips
Sexual segregation in foraging habitat occurs in many marine predators and is usually attributed to competitive exclusion, different parental roles of each sex or niche specialisation associated with sexual size…1 March, 2018 by Peter Convey
The growing interest in Antarctic collembolan species has led us to re-evaluate both the morphological and molecular aspects of different species adapted to the extreme Antarctic environment. The genus Folsomotoma…1 March, 2018 by Steve Colwell
The sparse nature of observational records across the mid- to high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere limits the ability to place late-twentieth-century environmental changes in the context of long-term (multidecadal…1 March, 2018 by Katrin Linse
The paradigm of large geographic ranges in the deep sea has been challenged by genetic studies, which often reveal putatively widespread species to be several taxa with more restricted ranges.…1 March, 2018 by Gary Llewellyn
The AisaOWL thermal hyperspectral instrument, manufactured by Specim, is a relatively new push-broom sensor well suited to airborne environmental surveys. The sensor covers the 7.6-12.6 μm part of the long-wave…1 March, 2018 by Gillian Young
Desert dust is one of the most important atmospheric ice‐nucleating aerosol species around the globe. However, there have been very few measurements of ice‐nucleating particle (INP) concentrations in dusty air…Read more on Atmospheric ice-nucleating particles in the dusty tropical Atlantic
1 March, 2018 by Katrin Linse
Based on a dataset of 16,991 and 307 morphospecies of polychaete worms collected from 58 epibenthic sledge deployments across the Scotia and Amundsen Seas, we show that the structures of…1 March, 2018 by Mark Clilverd
Typically, ultra‐low frequency (ULF) waves have historically been invoked for radial diffusive transport leading to acceleration and loss of outer radiation belt electrons. At higher frequencies, very low frequency waves…28 February, 2018 by Mark Clilverd
Ozonesonde data from four sites are analyzed in relation to 191 solar protons events (SPEs) from 1989-2016. Analysis shows ozone depletion (~10-35 km altitude) commencing following the SPEs. Seasonally-corrected ozone…23 February, 2018 by Richard Phillips
Given the major ongoing influence of environmental change on the oceans, there is a need to understand and predict the future distributions of marine species in order to plan appropriate…23 February, 2018 by Philip Trathan
Seabirds breeding on the Antarctic continent must cope with extreme changes in sea ice cover and day length throughout the year. Adélie penguins are expected to adjust their migratory movements…Read more on Migratory movements and winter diving activity of Adélie penguins in East Antarctica
21 February, 2018 by Richard Hindmarsh, Richard Hindmarsh
High-resolution, well-dated climate archives provide an opportunity to investigate the dynamic interactions of climate patterns relevant for future projections. Here, we present data from a new, annually-dated ice core record…15 February, 2018 by James Pope
The eruption of Mt. Tambora in 1815 was the largest volcanic eruption of the past 500 years. The eruption had significant climatic impacts, leading to the 1816 “year without a…14 February, 2018 by Eugene Murphy, Emma Young, Mark Belchier, Michael Meredith
In the marine environment, understanding the biophysical mechanisms that drive variability in larval dispersal and population connectivity is essential for estimating the potential impacts of climate change on the resilience…12 February, 2018 by Lloyd Peck, Luca Telesca
Shape variability represents an important direct response of organisms to selective environments. Here, we use a combination of geometric morphometrics and generalised additive mixed models (GAMMs) to identify spatial patterns…Read more on Blue mussel shell shape plasticity and natural environments: a quantitative approach
10 February, 2018 by Huw Griffiths, Susie Grant
9 February, 2018 by Hilmar Gudmundsson, Jan De Rydt
We report on the recent reactivation of a large rift in the Brunt Ice Shelf, East Antarctica, in December 2012 and the formation of a 50 km long new rift in…6 February, 2018 by Paul Holland
The Arctic sea ice cover of 2016 was highly noteworthy, as it featured record low monthly sea ice extents at the start of the year but a summer (September) extent…6 February, 2018 by Peter Convey
Geothermal environments in Antarctica have profound ecological and scientific value. They are single points of heat and moisture in an icy and dry landscape, and provide habitats for diverse living…2 February, 2018 by Hoi Ga Chan, Markus Frey
Emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx = NO + NO2) from the photolysis of nitrate (NO3−) in snow affect the oxidising capacity of the lower troposphere especially in remote regions of high latitudes with little…1 February, 2018
Archibald McLean qualified in Sydney in 1910 and in the following year joined Douglas Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911–1914). He took a full part in the expedition and was forced…Read more on Archibald Lang McLean (1885-1922) – Explorer, writer and soldier
1 February, 2018 by Katrin Linse
While biodiversity patterns of Atlantic deep-sea bivalves and gastropods have served as model taxa for setting global latitudinal and bathymetric hypotheses, less is known on abyssal, amphi-Atlantic molluscan assemblage compositions.…1 February, 2018 by Bianca Perren
High resolution proxy records of past climate are sparse in the Arctic due to low organic production that restricts the use of radiocarbon dating and challenging logistics that make data…1 February, 2018
Sleep disturbances are the main health complaints from personnel deployed in Antarctica. The current paper presents a systematic review of research findings on sleep disturbances in Antarctica. The available sources…Read more on From the midnight sun to the longest night: sleep in Antarctica
1 February, 2018 by Katrin Linse
We analyzed composition and variations in benthic macrofaunal communities along a transect of the entire length of the Vema-Fracture Zone on board of RV Sonne (SO-237) between December 2014 and…1 February, 2018 by Michael Dunn, Peter Convey, Stacey Adlard
Penguins are an important indicator of marine ecosystem health and a major contributor of nutrients to terrestrial ecosystems in Antarctica. Their stomach microbiota is influenced by both the prey consumed…1 February, 2018 by Huw Griffiths, Peter Convey, Rachel Cavanagh, Thomas Bracegirdle
The biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate variability of the Antarctic continent and the Southern Ocean are major components of the whole Earth system. Antarctic ecosystems are driven more strongly by…Read more on Cross-disciplinarity in the advance of Antarctic ecosystem research
1 February, 2018 by Adrian Jenkins, James Jordan, Paul Holland, Robert Arthern
The first fully synchronous, coupled ice shelf-ocean model with a fixed grounding line and imposed upstream ice velocity has been developed using the MITgcm (Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation…Read more on Ocean-forced ice-shelf thinning in a synchronously coupled ice-ocean model
1 February, 2018 by Will Goodall-Copestake
Colonies of neotropical army ants of the genus Eciton Latreille offer some of the most captivating examples of intricate interactions between species, with hundreds of associated species already described in…Read more on Army imposters: diversification of army ant-mimicking beetles with their Eciton hosts
1 February, 2018 by Adrian Fox, Louise Ireland
This paper presents detailed elevation and volume analysis of 16 individual glaciers, grouped at four locations, spread across the Antarctic Peninsula (AP). The study makes use of newly available WorldView-2…1 February, 2018 by Sarah Jackson
Highly resolved temporal and spatial distributions of trace elements in ocean water can provide insight into ocean processes but carry a significant analytical demand which requires methods that combine accuracy…1 February, 2018 by Alistair Crame
The large, burrowing bivalve Laternula elliptica is an abundant component of shallow-water soft-substrate communities around Antarctica but its congeners are temperate and tropical in distribution and their phylogenetic relationships are…1 February, 2018 by Kira Rehfeld
Changes in climate variability are as important for society to address as are changes in mean climate1. Contrasting temperature variability during the Last Glacial Maximum and the Holocene can provide…1 February, 2018 by Jean-Baptiste Sallee
Antarctic coastal polynyas are regions of persistent open water and are thought to be key bio-physical features within the sea-ice zone. However, their use by the upper trophic levels of…Read more on Coastal polynyas: Winter oases for subadult southern elephant seals in East Antarctica
1 February, 2018 by Tun Jan Young
Marine‐terminating outlet glaciers of the Greenland Ice Sheet make significant contributions to global sea level rise, yet the conditions that facilitate their fast flow remain poorly constrained owing to a…1 February, 2018 by Tun Jan Young
Outlet glaciers of the Greenland Ice Sheet transport ice from the interior to the ocean and contribute directly to sea level rise because discharge and ablation often exceed the accumulation.…1 February, 2018 by Mark Clilverd
Relativistic electron microbursts are a known radiation belt particle precipitation phenomenon; however, experimental evidence of their drivers in space have just begun to be observed. Recent modeling efforts have shown…1 February, 2018 by Ingrid Cnossen
The prevalence of GPS total electron content (TEC) observations has provided an opportunity for extensive global ionosphere‐thermosphere model validation efforts. This study presents a year‐long data‐model comparison using the Global…Read more on A year long comparison of GPS TEC and global ionosphere-thermosphere models
31 January, 2018 by Simeon Hill, Tony Phillips
Climate change is a threat to marine ecosystems and the services they provide, and reducing fishing pressure is one option for mitigating the overall consequences for marine biota. We used…28 January, 2018 by Jeremy Wilkinson
The fastest and most efficient process of gaining sea ice volume is through the mechanical redistribution of mass as a consequence of deformation events. During the ice growth season divergent…28 January, 2018 by Christine McKenna, Emily Shuckburgh, Thomas Bracegirdle
To explore the mechanisms linking Arctic sea ice loss to changes in midlatitude surface temperatures, we conduct idealized modeling experiments using an intermediate general circulation model and with sea ice…28 January, 2018 by Mark Clilverd
Relativistic electron microbursts are short-duration, high-energy precipitation events that are an important loss mechanism for radiation belt particles. Previous work to estimate their atmospheric impacts found no significant changes in…Read more on Relativistic electron microburst events: Modeling the atmospheric impact
17 January, 2018 by Clara Manno, Geraint Tarling, Victoria Peck
The dissolution of the delicate shells of sea butterflies, or pteropods, has epitomised discussions regarding ecosystem vulnerability to ocean acidification over the last decade. However, a recent demonstration that the…Read more on Pteropods counter mechanical damage and dissolution through extensive shell repair
12 January, 2018 by Jane Francis
Fossil-bearing deposits in the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica indicate that, despite the cold nature of the continent’s climate, a tundra ecosystem grew during periods of ice sheet retreat in the mid…9 January, 2018 by Adrian Jenkins, Hilmar Gudmundsson
Basal melting below ice shelves is a major factor in mass loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet, which can contribute significantly to possible future sea-level rise. Therefore, it is important…
5 January, 2018 by Claire Allen, Victoria Peck
It is widely held that benthic foraminifera exhibit species-specific calcification depth preferences, with their tests recording sediment pore water chemistry at that depth (i.e. stable isotope and trace metal compositions).…2 January, 2018 by Fausto Ferraccioli, Philip Leat, Tom Jordan, Teal Riley
The distribution of heat flow in Antarctic continental crust is critical to understanding continental tectonics, ice sheet growth and subglacial hydrology. We identify a group of High Heat Production granites,…1 January, 2018 by Carlos Martin Garcia, Fausto Ferraccioli
Ice cores in Antarctica and Greenland reveal ice-crystal fabrics that can be softer under simple shear compared with isotropic ice. Owing to the sparseness of ice cores in regions away…