Archives: Publications
Depth-related gradients in community structure and relatedness of bivalves and isopods in the Southern Ocean
1 May, 2016 by Katrin Linse
Despite increased research over the last decade, diversity patterns in Antarctic deep-sea benthic taxa and their driving forces are only marginally known. Depth-related patterns of diversity and distribution of isopods…Not poles apart: Antarctic soil fungal communities show similarities to those of the distant Arctic
1 May, 2016 by Kevin Newsham
Antarctica's extreme environment and geographical isolation offers a useful platform for testing the relative roles of environmental selection and dispersal barriers influencing fungal communities. The former process should lead to…Proceedings of the 25th Polar Libraries Colloquy
1 May, 2016 by Andrew Gray
Papers presented at the 25th Polar Libraries Colloquy, hosted by the British Antarctic Survey and Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, UK, 30th June – 4th July 2014Read more on Proceedings of the 25th Polar Libraries Colloquy
Marginal fluctuations of a Svalbard surge-type tidewater glacier, Bloomstrandbreen, since the little ice age: a record of three surges
1 May, 2016 by Kelly Hogan
Previous advances and retreats of Blomstrandbreen within the cold period known as the Little Ice Age, between approximately 1400 and 1920, are relatively well documented. The seafloor characteristics associated with…F-region ionosphere effects on the mapping accuracy of SuperDARN HF radar echoes
1 May, 2016 by Dag Arne Lorentzen, Lisa Baddeley
Structured particle precipitation in the cusp is an important source for the generation of F-region ionospheric irregularities. The equatorward boundaries of broad Doppler spectral width in Super Dual Auroral Radar…Read more on F-region ionosphere effects on the mapping accuracy of SuperDARN HF radar echoes
Coupled ice shelf-ocean modeling and complex grounding line retreat from a seabed ridge
1 May, 2016 by Hilmar Gudmundsson, Jan De Rydt
Recent observations and modeling work have shown a complex mechanical coupling between Antarctica's floating ice shelves and the adjacent grounded ice sheet. A prime example is Pine Island Glacier, West…Read more on Coupled ice shelf-ocean modeling and complex grounding line retreat from a seabed ridge
Decadal-scale thermohaline variability in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean
1 May, 2016 by Andrew Meijers
An enhanced Altimetry Gravest Empirical Mode (AGEM), including both adiabatic and diabatic trends, is developed for the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) south of Africa using updated hydrographic CTD sections, Argo…Read more on Decadal-scale thermohaline variability in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean
On the feasibility of imaging carbonatite-hosted rare earth element deposits using remote sensing
1 May, 2016 by Martin Black, Teal Riley
Rare earth elements (REEs) generate characteristic absorption features in visible to shortwave infrared (VNIR-SWIR) reflectance spectra. Neodymium (Nd) has among the most prominent absorption features of the REEs and thus…Trace element contamination and availability in the Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica
1 May, 2016 by Kevin Hughes
The Ardley Cove area (located on the Maxwell Bay shoreline, Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica) is characterized not only by its high biodiversity, but also by a high density…Niche partitioning by three Pterodroma petrel species during non-breeding in the equatorial Pacific Ocean
1 May, 2016 by Richard Phillips
Niche divergence is expected for species that compete for shared resources, including migrants that occupy similar regions during the non-breeding season. Studies of temperate seabirds indicate that both spatial and…Education on Biodiversity in the Polar Regions
1 May, 2016
The polar regions are famously associated with extreme temperatures, ice, snow, legendary explorers, indigenous people, polar bears, penguins and other impressive fauna and flora. The past decades have witnessed a…Vulnerability of Southern Ocean biota to climate change
27 April, 2016 by Lloyd Peck
Most Southern Ocean life is specifically adapted to the unique Antarctic environment. This extensive region is characterized by low temperature, a glaciated coastline and distinct seasonality in sea-ice cover, light…Read more on Vulnerability of Southern Ocean biota to climate change
Severity of seabed spatial competition decreases towards the poles
25 April, 2016 by Anje-Margriet Neutel, David Barnes
For more than a century ecologists have considered that competitive interactions between species are more intense at low latitudes 1 and 2. This is frequently invoked as either an explanation…Read more on Severity of seabed spatial competition decreases towards the poles
The signatures of large-scale patterns of atmospheric variability in Antarctic surface temperatures
16 April, 2016 by Gareth Marshall
We investigate the impact that the four principal large-scale patterns of Southern Hemisphere (SH) atmospheric circulation variability have on Antarctic surface air temperature (SAT): (1) the southern baroclinic annular mode…Summer epiphytic diatom communities from Terra Nova Bay and Cape Evans (Ross Sea, Antarctica) – A synthesis and final conclusions
14 April, 2016 by Peter Convey
Despite recent advances in polar marine biology and related fields, many aspects of the ecological interactions that are crucial for the functioning of Antarctic shallow water habitats remain poorly understood.…Subglacial landforms beneath Rutford Ice Stream, Antarctica: detailed bed topography from ice-penetrating radar
6 April, 2016 by Andy Smith, Ed King, Hamish Pritchard
We present a digital elevation model of the bed of Rutford Ice Stream, Antarctica, derived from radio-echo sounding data. The data cover an 18 × 40 km area immediately upstream of the grounding…Antarctic sea ice increase consistent with intrinsic variability of the Amundsen Sea Low
1 April, 2016 by Gareth Marshall, Scott Hosking, John Turner, Thomas Bracegirdle, Tony Phillips
We investigate the relationship between atmospheric circulation variability and the recent trends in Antarctic sea ice extent (SIE) using Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) atmospheric data, ECMWF Interim…Conservation implications of consistent foraging and trophic ecology in a rare petrel species
1 April, 2016 by Richard Phillips
Individuals within populations can use different resources, leading to ecological segregation and niche variation. This segregation could have direct impacts on the migratory strategy or breeding success, thus affecting the…Long-term changes in population size, distribution and productivity of skuas (Stercorarius spp.) at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands
1 April, 2016 by Richard Phillips
In this study, we investigate the numbers, productivity and territory distribution of the two species of skuas (brown Stercorarius lonnbergi and south polar Stercorarius maccormicki) breeding at Signy Island, South…Rapid early Holocene sea-level rise in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica
1 April, 2016 by Dominic Hodgson, Stephen Roberts
Prydz Bay is one of the largest embayments on the East Antarctic coast and it is the discharge point for approximately 16 % of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Geological…Read more on Rapid early Holocene sea-level rise in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica
Applying global criteria to tracking data to define important areas for marine conservation
1 April, 2016 by Richard Phillips
Aim Enhanced management of areas important for marine biodiversity are now obligations under a range of international treaties. Tracking data provide unparalleled information on the distribution of marine taxa, but…Automated lithological mapping using airborne hyperspectral thermal infrared data: A case study from Anchorage Island, Antarctica
1 April, 2016 by Andrew Fleming, Martin Black, Peter Fretwell, Teal Riley
The thermal infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum has considerable potential for mineral and lithological mapping of the most abundant rock-forming silicates that do not display diagnostic features at visible…Generation of internal waves by eddies impinging on the western boundary of the North Atlantic
1 April, 2016 by Alexander Brearley
Despite the major role played by mesoscale eddies in redistributing the energy of the large-scale circulation, our understanding of their dissipation is still incomplete. This study investigates the generation of…Biogeography of bacteriophages at four hydrothermal vent sites in the Antarctic based on gp23 sequence diversity
1 April, 2016 by David Pearce
In this study, which was carried out within the ChEsSO consortium project (Chemosynthetically driven ecosystems south of the Polar Front), we sampled two hydrothermal vent sites on the East Scotia…Sex-specific arrival times on the breeding grounds: hybridizing migratory skuas provide empirical support for the role of sex ratios
1 April, 2016
In migratory animals, protandry (earlier arrival of males on the breeding grounds) prevails over protogyny (females preceding males). In theory, sex differences in timing of arrival should be driven by…Growth and shrinkage in Antarctic krill Euphausia superba is sex-dependent
1 April, 2016 by Geraint Tarling, Helen Peat, Simeon Hill, Sophie Fielding
The ability of Antarctic krill Euphausia superba Dana to withstand the overwintering period is critical to their success. Laboratory evidence suggests that krill may shrink in body length during this…Read more on Growth and shrinkage in Antarctic krill Euphausia superba is sex-dependent
Subglacial processes on an Antarctic ice stream bed 1: sediment transport and bedform genesis inferred from marine geophysics
1 April, 2016 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand
The spatial pattern and morphometry of bedforms and their relationship to sediment thickness have been analysed in the Marguerite Bay Palaeo-ice stream Trough, western Antarctic Peninsula. Over 17 000 glacial…Subglacial processes on an Antarctic ice stream bed 2: Can modelled ice dynamics explain the morphology of mega-scale glacial lineations?
1 April, 2016 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand
Mega-scale glacial lineations (MSGLs) are highly elongate subglacial bedforms associated with ice streaming. However, the link between MSGLs and rapid ice flow is largely qualitative, and there have been few…Interannual variability in effective diffusivity in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere from reanalysis data
1 April, 2016 by Emily Shuckburgh
The effective diffusivity based on passive tracer advection is used to evaluate the long-term mixing properties for the period 1980–2012 in the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere (UTLS) using data…The development of biofilm architecture
1 April, 2016 by Teresa Kyrke-Smith
We extend the one-dimensional polymer solution theory of bacterial biofilm growth described by Winstanley et al. (2011 Proc. R. Soc. A 467, 1449–1467 (doi:10.1098/rspa.2010.0327)) to deal with the problem of…Distribution of subglacial sediments across the Wilkes Subglacial Basin, East Antarctica
1 April, 2016 by Fausto Ferraccioli
Topography, sediment distribution, and heat flux are all key boundary conditions governing the dynamics of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). EAIS stability is most at risk in Wilkes Land…Drivers of intrapopulation variation in resource use in a generalist predator, the macaroni penguin
1 April, 2016 by Catharine Horswill, Norman Ratcliffe, Philip Trathan, Richard Phillips
Intrapopulation variation in resource use occurs in many populations of generalist predators with important community and evolutionary implications. One of the hypothesised mechanisms for such widespread variation is ecological opportunity,…Long-term effects of altered PH and temperature on the feeding energetics of the Antarctic sea urchin, Sterechinus neumayeri
1 April, 2016 by Emma Cross, Lloyd Peck, Melody Clark, Simon Morley
This study investigated the effects of long-term incubation to near-future combined warming (+2 °C) and ocean acidification (−0.3 and −0.5 pH units) stressors, relative to current conditions (−0.3 °C and…Empirical predictive models of daily relativistic electron flux at geostationary orbit: Multiple regression analysis
1 April, 2016 by Mark Clilverd
The daily maximum relativistic electron flux at geostationary orbit can be predicted well with a set of daily averaged predictor variables including previous day's flux, seed electron flux, solar wind…Quasi-linear simulations of inner radiation belt electron pitch angle and energy distributions
28 March, 2016 by Nigel Meredith, Richard Horne, Sarah Glauert
“Peculiar” or “butterfly” electron pitch angle distributions (PADs), with minima near 90°, have recently been observed in the inner radiation belt. These electrons are traditionally treated by pure pitch angle…Phase relationships between orbital forcing and the composition of air trapped in Antarctic ice cores
26 March, 2016 by Emilie Capron
Orbital tuning is central for ice core chronologies beyond annual layer counting, available back to 60 ka (i.e. thousand of years before 1950) for Greenland ice cores. While several complementary…A new high-precision and low-power GNSS receiver for long-term installations in remote areas
24 March, 2016 by Carl Robinson, David Jones, Hilmar Gudmundsson
We have developed a new high-precision GNSS receiver specifically designed for long-term unattended deployments in remote areas. The receiver reports its status, and can be reprogrammed remotely, through an integrated…Feather mercury concentration in streaked shearwaters wintering in separate areas of southeast Asia
21 March, 2016 by Philip Trathan
We measured mercury concentration ([Hg]) and nitrogen stable isotope values (δ15N) in tail feathers that were replaced during the non-breeding period of streaked shearwaters Calonectris leucomelas that bred on 3…Composition and interactions among bacterial, microeukaryotic, and T4-like viral assemblages in lakes from both polar zones
18 March, 2016 by David Pearce
In this study we assess global biogeography and correlation patterns among three components of microbial life: bacteria, microeukaryotes, and T4-like myoviruses. In addition to environmental and biogeographical considerations, we have…Rates of warming and the global sensitivity of shallow water marine invertebrates to elevated temperature
11 March, 2016 by Lloyd Peck, Simon Morley
Assessing the sensitivity of ectotherms to variability in their environment is a key challenge, especially in the face of rapid warming of the Earth's surface. Comparing the upper temperature limits…Complete genome of Planococcus rifietoensis M8T, a halotolerant and potentially plant growth promoting bacterium
10 March, 2016 by David Pearce, Peter Convey
Planococcus rifietoensis M8T (=DSM 15069T = ATCC BAA-790T) is a halotolerant bacterium with potential plant growth promoting properties isolated from an algal mat collected from a sulfurous spring in Campania…A model providing long-term data sets of energetic electron precipitation during geomagnetic storms
8 March, 2016 by Mark Clilverd
The influence of solar variability on the polar atmosphere and climate due to energetic electron precipitation (EEP) has remained an open question largely due to lack of a long-term EEP…Linking saturation, stability and sustainability in food webs with observed equilibrium structure
1 March, 2016 by Anje-Margriet Neutel, Michael Thorne
Stability of a dynamic equilibrium in a predator-prey system depends both on the type of functional response and on the point of equilibrium on the response curve. Saturation effects from…Oxygen isotope mass balance of atmospheric nitrate at Dome C, East Antarctica, during the OPALE campaign
1 March, 2016 by Markus Frey
Variations in the stable oxygen isotope composition of atmospheric nitrate act as novel tools for studying oxidative processes taking place in the troposphere. They provide both qualitative and quantitative constraints…Usnea antarctica, an important Antarctic lichen, is vulnerable to aspects of regional environmental change
1 March, 2016 by Peter Convey
Studies of cryptogam responses to climate change in the polar regions are scarce because these slow-growing organisms require long-term monitoring studies. Here, we analyse the response of a lichen and…The cephalopod prey of the Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii, a biological sampler of the Antarctic marine ecosystem
1 March, 2016
Weddell seals, Leptonychotes weddellii, are important apex predators in the food web of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. However, detailed information on their trophic relationships with cephalopods is scarce. Moreover, cephalopods…Biogeography of cephalopods in the Southern Ocean using habitat suitability prediction models
1 March, 2016 by Dani Jones, Huw Griffiths
Our understanding of how environmental change in the Southern Ocean will affect marine diversity, habitats and distribution remain limited. The habitats and distributions of Southern Ocean cephalopods are generally poorly…Why is the South Orkney Island shelf (the world’s first high seas marine protected area) a carbon immobilization hotspot?
1 March, 2016 by Chester Sands, David Barnes, Louise Ireland, Oliver Hogg, Peter Enderlein, Simon Morley
The Southern Ocean archipelago, the South Orkney Islands (SOI), became the world's first entirely high seas marine protected area (MPA) in 2010. The SOI continental shelf (~44 000 km2), was…The significance of cephalopod beaks in marine ecology studies: Can we use beaks for DNA analyses and mercury contamination assessment?
1 March, 2016 by Philip Trathan
Cephalopod beaks found in the diet of predators have been a major source of scientific information. In this study, we evaluated the usefulness of DNA and contaminants analysis (total mercury…Complete genome of Pseudomonas sp. strain L10.10, a psychrotolerant biofertilizer that could promote plant growth
1 March, 2016 by David Pearce, Peter Convey
Pseudomonas sp. strain L10.10 (=DSM 101070) is a psychrotolerant bacterium which was isolated from Lagoon Island, Antarctica. Analysis of its complete genome sequence indicates its possible role as a plant-growth…Migration timing and routes, and wintering areas of Flammulated Owls
1 March, 2016
Determining patterns in annual movements of animals is an important component of population ecology, particularly for migratory birds where migration timing and routes, and wintering habitats have key bearing on…Read more on Migration timing and routes, and wintering areas of Flammulated Owls
Connectivity in the cold: the comparative population genetics of vent-endemic fauna in the Scotia Sea, Southern Ocean
1 March, 2016 by Katrin Linse
We report the first comparative population genetics study for vent fauna in the Southern Ocean using cytochrome C oxidase I and microsatellite markers. Three species are examined: the kiwaid squat…Population structure and phylogeography of the Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) across the Scotia Arc
1 March, 2016 by Michael Dunn
Climate change, fisheries' pressure on penguin prey, and direct human disturbance of wildlife have all been implicated in causing large shifts in the abundance and distribution of penguins in the…Antarctic Entomology
1 March, 2016 by Peter Convey
The Antarctic region comprises the continent, the Maritime Antarctic, the sub-Antarctic islands, and the southern cold temperate islands. Continental Antarctica is devoid of insects, but elsewhere diversity varies from 2…An integrated approach to historical population assessment of the great whales: case of the New Zealand southern right whale
1 March, 2016 by Jennifer Jackson
Accurate estimation of historical abundance provides an essential baseline for judging the recovery of the great whales. This is particularly challenging for whales hunted prior to twentieth century modern whaling,…Oxygen depletion recorded in upper waters of the glacial Southern Ocean
1 March, 2016 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand
Oxygen depletion in the upper ocean is commonly associated with poor ventilation and storage of respired carbon, potentially linked to atmospheric CO2 levels. Iodine to calcium ratios (I/Ca) in recent…Read more on Oxygen depletion recorded in upper waters of the glacial Southern Ocean
Validating the use of intrinsic markers in body feathers to identify inter-individual differences in non-breeding areas of northern fulmars
1 March, 2016 by Lucy Quinn
Many wildlife studies use chemical analyses to explore spatio-temporal variation in diet, migratory patterns and contaminant exposure. Intrinsic markers are particularly valuable for studying non-breeding marine predators, when direct methods…Global spatial ecology of three closely-related gadfly petrels
1 March, 2016 by Richard Phillips
The conservation status and taxonomy of the three gadfly petrels that breed in Macaronesia is still discussed partly due to the scarce information on their spatial ecology. Using geolocator and…Read more on Global spatial ecology of three closely-related gadfly petrels
Climate change and polar range expansions: Could cuttlefish cross the Arctic?
1 March, 2016 by John Turner, Lloyd Peck, Peter Fretwell
Climate change can have major effects on the distribution of species. In marine ecosystems, the cold waters of the Arctic have restricted warmer water species from crossing between Eurasia and…Read more on Climate change and polar range expansions: Could cuttlefish cross the Arctic?
Interglacials of the last 800,000 years
1 March, 2016 by Emilie Capron
Interglacials, including the present (Holocene) period, are warm, low land ice extent (high sea level), end-members of glacial cycles. Based on a sea level definition, we identify eleven interglacials in…Comment on “Low time resolution analysis of polar ice cores cannot detect impulsive nitrate events” by D.F. Smart et al.
1 March, 2016 by Markus Frey
Smart et al. (2014) suggested that the detection of nitrate spikes in polar ice cores from solar energetic particle (SEP) events could be achieved if an analytical system with sufficiently…Glacial lake drainage in Patagonia (13-8 kyr) and response of the adjacent Pacific Ocean
18 February, 2016 by Max Holloway
Large freshwater lakes formed in North America and Europe during deglaciation following the Last Glacial Maximum. Rapid drainage of these lakes into the Oceans resulted in abrupt perturbations in climate,…Observations of surface momentum exchange over the marginal-ice-zone and recommendations for its parametrisation
10 February, 2016 by Alexandra Weiss, John King, Thomas Lachlan-Cope
Comprehensive aircraft observations are used to characterise surface roughness over the Arctic marginal ice zone (MIZ) and consequently make recommendations for the parameterization of surface momentum exchange in the MIZ.…Controls on microalgal community structures in cryoconite holes upon high Arctic glaciers, Svalbard
3 February, 2016
Glaciers are known to harbor surprisingly complex ecosystems. On their surface, distinct cylindrical holes filled with meltwater and sediments are considered as hot spots for microbial life. The present paper…Why huddle? Ecological drivers of chick aggregations in gentoo penguins, Pygoscelis papua, across latitudes
3 February, 2016
Aggregations of young animals are common in a range of endothermic and ectothermic species, yet the adaptive behavior may depend on social circumstance and local conditions. In penguins, many species…A preliminary study to investigate the biogeophysical impact of desertification on climate based on different latitudinal bands
1 February, 2016 by Zhaomin Wang
Desertification is an international environmental challenge which poses a risk to portions of over 100 countries. Research into desertification and climate change has the potential to contribute to natural resources…No ocean acidification effects on shell growth and repair in the New Zealand brachiopod Calloria inconspicua (Sowerby, 1846)
1 February, 2016 by Emma Cross, Lloyd Peck
Surface seawaters are becoming more acidic due to the absorption of rising anthropogenic CO2. Marine calcifiers are considered to be the most vulnerable organisms to ocean acidification due to the…Edward Leicester Atkinson (1881-1929): Antarctic explorer, scientist and naval surgeon
1 February, 2016
Edward Leicester Atkinson qualified at St Thomas's Hospital in 1906 and joined the Navy in 1908. He was a doctor and parasitologist on Captain Scott's Terra Nova expedition to the…Read more on Edward Leicester Atkinson (1881-1929): Antarctic explorer, scientist and naval surgeon
George Murray Levick (1876-1956), Antarctic explorer
1 February, 2016
Murray Levick is best known for being one of the surgeons on Scott’s Terra Nova Antarctic expedition (1910–1913) and, as a member of the Northern Party of that expedition, spending…Read more on George Murray Levick (1876-1956), Antarctic explorer
Assessing the effectiveness of specially protected areas for conservation of Antarctica’s botanical diversity
1 February, 2016 by Andrew Fleming, Kevin Hughes, Louise Ireland, Peter Convey
Vegetation is sparsely distributed over Antarctica's ice-free ground, and distinct plant communities are present in each of the continent's 15 recently identified Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions (ACBRs). With rapidly increasing…Relationship between soil fungal diversity and temperature in the maritime Antarctic
1 February, 2016 by Kevin Newsham, Peter Fretwell
Soil fungi have pivotal ecological roles as decomposers, pathogens and symbionts1, 2. Alterations to their diversity arising from climate change could have substantial effects on ecosystems, particularly those undergoing rapid…Read more on Relationship between soil fungal diversity and temperature in the maritime Antarctic
Identifying predictable foraging habitats for a wide-ranging marine predator using ensemble ecological niche models
1 February, 2016 by Richard Phillips
Aim Ecological niche modelling can provide valuable insight into species' environmental preferences and aid the identification of key habitats for populations of conservation concern. Here, we integrate biologging, satellite remote-sensing…Vascular plant changes in extreme environments: effects of multiple drivers
1 February, 2016 by Roger Worland, Peter Convey
The Antarctic Peninsula is one of three regions of the planet that have experienced the highest rates of climate warming over recent decades. Based on a comprehensive large-scale resurvey, allowing…Read more on Vascular plant changes in extreme environments: effects of multiple drivers
Combined influence of meso-scale circulation and bathymetry on the foraging behaviour of a diving predator, the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus)
1 February, 2016 by Johnnie Edmonston, Philip Trathan
Investigating the responses of marine predators to environmental features is of key importance for understanding their foraging behaviour and reproductive success. In this study we examined the foraging behaviour of…Evolution of the Antarctic Peninsula lithosphere: evidence from Mesozoic mafic rocks
1 February, 2016 by Teal Riley
New geochronology from a thick (> 800m) basaltic succession along the eastern margin of the Antarctic Peninsula confirm a Middle Jurassic age (178 ± 1 Ma). This marginally postdates the…Read more on Evolution of the Antarctic Peninsula lithosphere: evidence from Mesozoic mafic rocks
An assessment of the Polar Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model representation of near-surface meteorological variables over West Antarctica
1 February, 2016 by Andrew Orr, Daniel Bannister, James Pope, Scott Hosking, John Turner, Pranab Deb, Steve Colwell, Tony Phillips
Despite the recent significant climatic changes observed over West Antarctica, which include large warming in central West Antarctica and accelerated ice loss, adequate validation of regional simulations of meteorological variables…Aerobiology over Antarctica – a new initiative for atmospheric ecology
1 February, 2016 by Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey
The role of aerial dispersal in shaping patterns of biodiversity remains poorly understood, mainly due to a lack of coordinated efforts in gathering data at appropriate temporal and spatial scales.…Read more on Aerobiology over Antarctica – a new initiative for atmospheric ecology
Extreme energetic electron fluxes in low Earth orbit: Analysis of POES E > 30, E > 100 and E > 300 keV electrons
1 February, 2016 by John Isles, Nigel Meredith, Richard Horne
Energetic electrons are an important space weather hazard. Electrons with energies less than about 100 keV cause surface charging while higher energy electrons can penetrate materials and cause internal charging.…Identifying the magnetotail lobes with Cluster magnetometer data
1 February, 2016 by Mervyn Freeman
We describe a novel method for identifying times when a spacecraft is in Earth's magnetotail lobes solely using magnetometer data. We propose that lobe intervals can be well identified as…Read more on Identifying the magnetotail lobes with Cluster magnetometer data
Life span and reproductive cost explain interspecific variation in the optimal onset of reproduction
1 February, 2016 by Andrew Wood, Richard Phillips
Fitness can be profoundly influenced by the age at first reproduction (AFR), but to date the AFR–fitness relationship only has been investigated intraspecifically. Here, we investigated the relationship between AFR…Technologies for retrieving sediment cores in Antarctic subglacial settings
28 January, 2016 by Andy Smith, Dominic Hodgson, James Smith, Keith Makinson, Michael Rose
Accumulations of sediment beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet contain a range of physical and chemical proxies with the potential to document changes in ice sheet history and to identify and…Read more on Technologies for retrieving sediment cores in Antarctic subglacial settings
Clean subglacial access: prospects for future deep hot-water drilling
28 January, 2016 by Andy Smith, Dominic Hodgson, Keith Makinson, Michael Rose
Accessing and sampling subglacial environments deep beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet presents several challenges to existing drilling technologies. With over half of the ice sheet believed to be resting on…Read more on Clean subglacial access: prospects for future deep hot-water drilling
Microbiology: lessons from a first attempt at Lake Ellsworth
28 January, 2016 by David Pearce
During the attempt to directly access, measure and sample Subglacial Lake Ellsworth in 2012–2013, we conducted microbiological analyses of the drilling equipment, scientific instrumentation, field camp and natural surroundings. From…Read more on Microbiology: lessons from a first attempt at Lake Ellsworth
Year-round records of sea salt, gaseous and particulate inorganic bromine in the atmospheric boundary layer at coastal (Dumont d’Urville) and central (Concordia) East Antarctic sites
27 January, 2016 by Xin Yang
Multiple year-round records of bulk and size-segregated compositions of aerosol were obtained at the coastal Dumont d'Urville (DDU) and inland Concordia sites located in East Antarctica. They document the sea-salt…Evolution of South Atlantic density and chemical stratification across the last deglaciation
19 January, 2016 by Jenny Roberts, Victoria Peck
Explanations of the glacial–interglacial variations in atmospheric pCO2 invoke a significant role for the deep ocean in the storage of CO2. Deep-ocean density stratification has been proposed as a mechanism…Future circulation changes off West Antarctica: Sensitivity of the Amundsen Sea Low to projected anthropogenic forcing
16 January, 2016 by Andrew Orr, Scott Hosking, John Turner, Thomas Bracegirdle
The Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) is a major driver of West Antarctic climate variability, with the potential to accelerate the loss of glacial ice. Using the 11 global climate models…A case study of a transported bromine explosion event in the Canadian high arctic
16 January, 2016 by Xin Yang
Ozone depletion events in the polar troposphere have been linked to extremely high concentrations of bromine, known as bromine explosion events (BEE). However, the optimum meteorological conditions for the occurrence…Read more on A case study of a transported bromine explosion event in the Canadian high arctic
Characterisation of the mantle transcriptome and biomineralisation genes in the blunt-gaper clam, Mya truncata
14 January, 2016 by Lloyd Peck, Michael Thorne, Melody Clark, Victoria Sleight
Members of the Myidae family are ecologically and economically important, but there is currently very little molecular data on these species. The present study sequenced and assembled the mantle transcriptome…Highly productive polar forests from the Permian of Antarctica
1 January, 2016 by Jane Francis
Two stratigraphically closely spaced bedding planes exposed at Lamping Peak in the Upper Buckley Formation, Beardmore Glacier area, Antarctica contain abundant in situ stumps (n=53, n=21) and other plant fossils…Read more on Highly productive polar forests from the Permian of Antarctica
Robert Mossman, Endurance and the Weddell Sea ice
1 January, 2016 by John King
Before Shackleton arrived at South Georgia aboard Endurance on 5 November 1914 he was aware that the vessel might meet bad pack-ice in the Weddell Sea. This had been forecast…Read more on Robert Mossman, Endurance and the Weddell Sea ice
The Amundsen Sea Low: Variability, change and impact on Antarctic climate
1 January, 2016 by Gareth Marshall, Scott Hosking, John Turner
The Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) is a climatological low pressure center that exerts considerable influence on the climate of West Antarctica. Its potential to explain important recent changes in Antarctic…Read more on The Amundsen Sea Low: Variability, change and impact on Antarctic climate