27 July, 2011 by Steve Colwell, Tracy Moffat-Griffin
An 8 year series of 965 high-resolution radiosonde soundings over Rothera (67 degrees S, 68 degrees W) on the Antarctic Peninsula are used to study gravity wave characteristics in the…18 July, 2011 by Hugh Corr, Richard Hindmarsh, Richard Hindmarsh
The boundary of grounded ice and the location of ice transitioning to a freely floating state are mapped at 15-m resolution around the entire continent of Antarctica. These data products…18 July, 2011 by Andy Smith
We present results from new geophysical data allowing modelling of the water flow within Subglacial Lake Ellsworth (SLE), West Antarctica. Our simulations indicate that this lake has a novel temperature…16 July, 2011 by Hua Lu, Ingrid Cnossen
We analyzed observational geopotential height data to provide some new insights on the 11 year solar cycle signal in the Northern Hemisphere early winter and its modulation by the quasi-biennial…11 July, 2011 by Chester Sands, David Herbert, David Barnes, Huw Griffiths, Martin Collins, Oliver Hogg, Peter Fretwell
The multilateral failure to apply the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) by the target year 2010 was headline news as are the accelerating climatic changes which dictate its urgency. Some…30 June, 2011 by Richard Hindmarsh, Richard Hindmarsh
Ice domes are either axisymmetric, high points along ridges, or ridge triple junctions. We model time-dependent isothermal flow near triple junctions, solving the full set of mechanical equations with a…Read more on Flow at ice-divide triple junctions: 1. Three-dimensional full-Stokes modeling
30 June, 2011 by Ed King, Hugh Corr, Richard Hindmarsh, Robert Mulvaney, Richard Hindmarsh
Ground-based surveys of ice-divide triple junctions in two Antarctic ice rises, the Fletcher Promontory and Berkner Island, have been carried out using low-frequency ice-penetrating radars. These surveys have focused on…27 June, 2011 by Eric Wolff, Howard Roscoe
In the laboratory, we have investigated the growth and composition of frost flowers. Their ionic composition has shown little difference from those of field measurements. Young frost flowers grown on…1 June, 2011 by Hilmar Gudmundsson, Keith Nicholls
Ocean tides under the large Weddell Sea ice shelves are among the least well observed on Earth. Here we present new, spatially extensive observations of the vertical tidal motion of…1 June, 2011 by Richard Hindmarsh, Richard Hindmarsh
In East Antarctica surface mass balance data can only be obtained from the sparsely distributed ice cores when considering time periods greater than a few decades. Observations of internal layers…1 June, 2011 by Nigel Meredith
We perform a comprehensive analysis of resonant scattering of diffuse auroral electrons by oblique nightside chorus emissions present along a field line with an equatorial crossing of 6 R(E) at…1 June, 2011 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand
We present results of detailed paleomagnetic investigations on deep-sea cores from sediment drifts located along the Pacific continental margin of the Antarctic Peninsula. High-resolution magnetic measurements on u channel samples…25 May, 2011 by Adrian Jenkins, David Vaughan, Hugh Corr, Hamish Pritchard, Paul Holland, Robert Arthern
The air content of glacial firn determines the effect and attribution of observed changes in ice surface elevation, but is currently measurable only using labor-intensive ground-based techniques. Here a novel…23 May, 2011 by Povl Abrahamsen
This cruise report describes the combined JR252 and JR254C cruise on RRS James Clark Ross, departing Port Stanley on March 19th and arriving in Punta Arenas on April 6th. JR252…Read more on Cruise Report RRS James Clark Ross JR252 & JR254C, 19 March – 6 April 2011
12 May, 2011 by Mark Clilverd
The atmospheric chemistry general circulation model ECHAM5/MESSy is used to simulate polar surface air temperature effects of geomagnetic activity variations. A transient model simulation was performed for the years 1960-2004…1 May, 2011
Sea ice friction models are necessary to predict the nature of interactions between sea ice floes. These interactions are of interest on a range of scales, for example, to predict…1 May, 2011 by Mai Mai Lam, Nigel Meredith, Richard Horne
Electron precipitation from the Earth's inner magnetosphere transmits solar variability to the Earth's upper atmosphere and may affect surface level climate. Here we conduct a superposed epoch analysis of energetic…Read more on Energetic electron precipitation during high-speed solar wind stream driven storms
16 April, 2011 by Mark Clilverd
Utilizing observations from the Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector (MEPED) on board the Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite (POES) and the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on board the Aura satellite,…1 April, 2011 by Anna Jones, David Maxfield, Eric Wolff, Howard Roscoe, Markus Frey, Michael Rose, Neil Brough
A suite of 10 autonomous ozone monitoring units, each powered using renewable energy, was developed and built to study surface ozone in Antarctica during the International Polar Year (2007-2009). The…1 April, 2011 by Nigel Meredith, Richard Horne
Using statistical wave power spectral profiles obtained from CRRES and the latitudinal distributions of wave propagation modeled by the HOTRAY code, a quantitative analysis has been performed on the scattering…1 April, 2011 by Nigel Meredith, Richard Horne
Using the statistical wave power spectral profiles obtained from CRRES wave data within the 0000–0600 MLT sector under different levels of geomagnetic activity and a modeled latitudinal variation of wave…1 April, 2011 by Nigel Meredith, Richard Horne
The temporal evolution of the phase space density of plasma sheet electrons (100 eV-30 keV) injected into the nightside at L = 6 during moderate geomagnetic activity is investigated using…27 March, 2011 by Hua Lu
In this study, statistical evidence of a possible modulation of the equatorial stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) by the solar wind dynamic pressure is provided. When solar wind dynamic pressure is…27 March, 2011
This paper describes the use of EOS Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) data to observe the field of traveling planetary waves with quasi 16 day periods. This study utilizes MLS v2.2…Read more on Properties of the quasi 16 day wave derived from EOS MLS observations
18 March, 2011 by Richard Horne
Energetic proton (1–45 keV) distributions measured by the magnetospheric plasma analyzer detector on Los Alamos National Laboratory geosynchronous orbiting satellites are analyzed to study the characteristics of proton ring development…16 March, 2011 by Anna Jones, Eric Wolff
The concentration of atmospheric methane increased from around 360 ppbv at the last glacial maximum (∼20 ka before present) to about 700 ppbv in the pre-industrial era (∼200 years before…1 March, 2011
The international carbon cycle research community is currently coordinating the largest, most comprehensive assessment it has ever undertaken: the Regional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes (RECCAP; http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/reccap). The objective is…Read more on An international effort to quantify regional carbon fluxes
1 March, 2011 by Mark Clilverd
The accepted mechanism for whistler generation implicitly assumes that the causative lightning stroke occurs within reasonable proximity to the conjugate foot point of the guiding magnetic field line and that…Read more on Source region for whistlers detected at Rothera, Antarctica
1 March, 2011 by Mark Clilverd
Observed phases and amplitudes of VLF radio signals propagating on a short (∼360 km) path are used to find improved parameters for the lowest edge of the (D region of…28 January, 2011
On 16–17 July 2007 during an observational campaign at Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station (62 degrees S, 58 degrees W), a mesospheric wall was observed with an airglow all-sky imager. The…Read more on Case study of a mesospheric wall event over Ferraz station, Antarctica (62° S)
27 January, 2011 by Gareth Chisham, Mervyn Freeman
We report a superposed epoch analysis of the hemispheric open magnetic flux, maximum nightside auroral intensity, geomagnetic activity, and solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field conditions around the time of…27 January, 2011 by Hua Lu, Ingrid Cnossen
We use a troposphere-stratosphere model of intermediate complexity to study the atmospheric response to an idealized solar forcing in the subtropical upper stratosphere during Northern Hemisphere (NH) early winter. We…Read more on Solar signal propagation: The role of gravity waves and stratospheric sudden warmings
1 January, 2011 by Vsevolod Afanasyev
Each autumn billions of songbirds migrate between the temperate zone and tropics, but little is known about how events on the breeding grounds affect migration to the tropics. Here, we…1 January, 2011 by Katrin Linse
Three hundred and fifty specimens of the endemic Southern Ocean octopus genus Pareledone, were sequenced for the barcoding gene COI. Geographic coverage comprised the South Shetland Islands, the Ross Sea,…1 January, 2011 by Claire Allen
Sea-ice growth and decay in Antarctica is one of the biggest seasonal changes on Earth, expanding ice cover from 4 106 km2 to a maximum of 19 106 km2 during…1 January, 2011 by Claire Allen
We have developed cleaning methods for extracting diatomopal from bulk marine sediment samples, for measurement of both zinc (Zn) abundance and isotope composition. This cleaning technique was then applied to…1 January, 2011 by Mark Belchier
Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) or ‘Chilean sea bass’ support a valuable and controversial fishery, yet their life history is not well understood and longevity estimates range from ~20 to >50…1 January, 2011
A global chemistry-climate model is used to assess the impact on atmospheric composition of the regeneration and recycling of HOx in the photo-oxidation of isoprene. The impact is explored subject…1 January, 2011 by Kevin Hughes
Antarctica is the most isolated continent on Earth, but it has not escaped the negative impacts of human activity. The unique marine ecosystems of Antarctica and their endemic faunas are…Read more on Anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems in Antarctica
1 January, 2011 by Eric Wolff
We constructed an 800,000-year synthetic record of Greenland climate variability based on the thermal bipolar seesaw model. Our Greenland analog reproduces much of the variability seen in the Greenland ice…1 January, 2011 by Andrew Clarke, David Barnes
Antarctica is a continent of extremes: on average it is the highest, windiest, coldest and driest land mass on Earth. It also has the largest ice-mass, with less than 1%…1 January, 2011 by David Barnes, Terri Souster, Terri Souster
The West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is a hotspot of recent rapid regional warming and ice loss1. The WAP sea surface freezes each winter to form a ‘fast-ice’ skin that can…Read more on Reduced survival of Antarctic benthos linked to climate-induced iceberg scouring
1 January, 2011 by Povl Abrahamsen
Extremely low summer sea-ice coverage in the Arctic Ocean in 2007 allowed extensive sampling and a wide quasi-synoptic hydrographic and δ18O dataset could be collected in the Eurasian Basin and…Read more on Origin of freshwater and polynya water in the Arctic Ocean halocline in summer 2007
1 January, 2011 by Fausto Ferraccioli, Hugh Corr, Tom Jordan
An International Polar Year aerogeophysical investigation of the high interior of East Antarctica reveals widespread freeze-on that drives substantial mass redistribution at the bottom of the ice sheet. Although the…1 January, 2011 by Dominic Hodgson, Joanne Johnson
Glacial geological evidence of rapid ice stream retreat is important for the potential insight it can bring to understanding of contemporary rapid ice sheet change. Here, we report new chronological…Read more on Rapid deglaciation of Marguerite Bay, western Antarctic Peninsula in the Early Holocene
1 January, 2011 by David Vaughan
Observations from satellite and airborne platforms are combined with model calculations to infer the nature and efficiency of basal melting of the Pine Island Glacier ice shelf, West Antarctica, by…Read more on Variability of basal melt beneath the Pine Island Glacier ice shelf, West Antarctica
1 January, 2011 by Richard Phillips
Relationships between events in one period of the annual cycle and behaviour in subsequent seasons are key determinants of individual life histories and population dynamics. However, studying such associations is…1 January, 2011 by Peter Convey
Passive chambers are used to examine the impacts of summer warming in Antarctica but, so far, impacts occurring outside the growing season, or related to extreme temperatures, have not been…1 January, 2011 by Thomas Bracegirdle
The semi-annual oscillation (SAO) in sea-level pressure at high southern latitudes is the consequence of a twice-yearly contraction (and strengthening) and expansion (and weakening) of the storm track between 50…1 January, 2011 by Katrin Linse
The benthic fauna was investigated during the expedition ANT-XXIV/2 (2007/08) in relation to oceanographic features, biogeochemical properties and sediment characteristics, as well as the benthic, pelagic and air-breathing fauna. The…Read more on Maud Rise – a snapshot through the water column
1 January, 2011 by Lloyd Peck, Melody Clark
Echinoderms and in particular brittle stars display a remarkable ability to regenerate lost or damaged tissues. They offer an excellent model in which to study regeneration displaying extensive regenerative ability…1 January, 2011 by Vsevolod Afanasyev
The population decline of the Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni has been the subject of studies across its Western Palaearctic breeding range, but little is known about its use of pre-migratory…1 January, 2011 by Richard Phillips
Although seabirds that are trans-equatorial migrants show apparently broad overlap among populations in the non-breeding season, such large-scale pattern may conceal subtle but nevertheless key differences in migratory behaviour. These…1 January, 2011 by Jaume Forcada
Black-browed albatrosses Thalassarche melanophris are currently classified as globally endangered. The most important populations of this species are believed to be declining due to, amongst other factors, unsustainable levels of…1 January, 2011 by Richard Phillips
It has long been known that birds change their behaviour, reproductive performance and survival as they mature, including in the first few years after recruitment into the breeding population. However,…1 January, 2011 by Lloyd Peck, Michael Thorne, Melody Clark
Background: The Antarctic krill Euphausia superba is a keystone species in the Antarctic food chain. Not only is it a significant grazer of phytoplankton, but it is also a major…Read more on Antarctic krill 454 pyrosequencing reveals chaperone and stress transcriptome
1 January, 2011 by David Pearce
One of the most remarkable discoveries resulting from the robotic and remote sensing exploration of space is the inferred presence of bodies of liquid water under ice deposits on other…Read more on Subglacial environments and the search for life beyond the Earth
1 January, 2011
The Twentieth Century Reanalysis (20CR) project is an international effort to produce a comprehensive global atmospheric circulation dataset spanning the twentieth century, assimilating only surface pressure reports and using observed…1 January, 2011 by Peter Convey
Recent analyses of Antarctic terrestrial biodiversity data, in combination with molecular biological studies, have created a new paradigm that long-term persistence and regional isolation are general features of most of…Read more on Antarctic terrestrial biodiversity in a changing world
1 January, 2011 by Peter Convey, Stephen Roberts
The ecosystems of the western Antarctic Peninsula, experiencing amongst the most rapid trends of regional climate warming worldwide, are important “early warning” indicators for responses expected in more complex systems…Read more on Global southern limit of flowering plants and moss peat accumulation
1 January, 2011 by Mark Belchier, Peter Convey
The human-assisted establishment of two non-native predatory carabid beetles (Merizodus soledadinus (Guerin-M,n,ville), Trechisibus antarcticus (Dejean)) on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia occurred 30-50 years ago, but the distribution of…Read more on Recent range expansions in non-native predatory beetles on sub-Antarctic South Georgia
1 January, 2011 by Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey
The Antarctic continent is frequently cited as the last pristine continent on Earth. However, this view is misleading for several reasons. First, there has been a rapid increase in visitors…Read more on Non-indigenous microorganisms in the Antarctic: assessing the risks
1 January, 2011 by Jonathan Watkins
Antarctic krill are important in the South Georgia (548S 358W) marine ecosystem. They form aggregations that vary widely in packing density (,1 to 1000 s of individuals m23), length (tens…1 January, 2011 by Pierre Dutrieux
The Solomon Sea, in the western tropical Pacific, is part of a major oceanic pathway for waters connecting the tropics to the equator via low latitude western boundary currents. Shipboard…Read more on Observed circulation in the Solomon Sea from SADCP data
1 January, 2011
Diatom cells have distinctive optical characteristics, originating from their relatively large cell size, fucoxanthin content and silica cell wall. It has been proposed that diatom-dominated phytoplankton blooms can be identified…1 January, 2011 by Eugene Murphy
Determining the form of key predator-prey relationships is critical for understanding marine ecosystem dynamics. Using a comprehensive global database, we quantified the effect of fluctuations in food abundance on seabird…Read more on Global seabird response to forage fish depletion – one-third for the birds
1 January, 2011
The Citarum river basin of western Java, Indonesia, which supplies water to 10 million residents in Jakarta, has become increasingly vulnerable to anthropogenic change. Citarum's streamflow record, only similar to…1 January, 2011 by Eric Wolff, Liz Thomas
An abrupt cold event ca. 8200 cal. yr BP, is believed to have been caused by the catastrophic release of ice-dammed meltwater from Lake Agassiz and associated disruption of the…Read more on The 8200 yr BP cold event in stable isotope records from the North Atlantic region
1 January, 2011
The Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the Aura satellite has been used to measure temperatures in the stratosphere, mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The data used here are from August 2004…1 January, 2011 by David Barnes, Huw Griffiths, Katrin Linse
The Dumont d’Urville Sea (East Antarctic region) has been less investigated for DNA barcoding and molecular taxonomy than other parts of the Southern Ocean, such as the Ross Sea and…1 January, 2011 by Richard Phillips
There is growing evidence that migratory species are particularly vulnerable to rapid environmental changes arising from human activity. Species are expected to vary in their capacity to respond to these…1 January, 2011 by Janet Silk, Michael Dunn, Philip Trathan
ARGOS satellite telemetry and Global Location Sensors (geolocators) were used to identify the moult locations and the winter foraging dispersal of Adélie penguins after they left their breeding colonies on…1 January, 2011
On average, about 45 per cent of global annual anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions remain in the atmosphere, while the remainder are taken up by carbon reservoirs on land and…Read more on Economic value of improved quantification in global sources and sinks of carbon dioxide
1 January, 2011 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, James Smith
The Amundsen Sea embayment is a probable site for the initiation of a future collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the…1 January, 2011 by Huw Griffiths
For the first time, comatulid crinoid feeding behaviour is used to infer near-bottom current (NBC) directions on the Terre Adélie and George V shelf, East Antarctica. We analysed 47 still-image…1 January, 2011 by Roger Worland, Peter Convey
Signy Island has experienced a dramatic increase in fur seal numbers over recent decades, which has led to the devastation of lowland terrestrial vegetation, with the eradication of moss turfs…1 January, 2011 by Dominic Hodgson, Peter Convey
The evolutionary history and geographical isolation of the Antarctic continent have produced a unique environment rich in endemic organisms. In many regions of Antarctica, cyanobacteria are the dominant phototrophs in…1 January, 2011 by Lester Anderson, Fausto Ferraccioli, Tom Jordan
The Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains are the least understood tectonic feature on Earth, because they are completely hidden beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Their high elevation and youthful Alpine topography,…Read more on East Antarctic rifting triggers uplift of the Gamburtsev Mountains
1 January, 2011 by Victoria Peck
The concentrations of chlorins (chlorophyll transformation products indicative of phytoplankton production) and crenarchaeol (a marker for Crenarchaea abundance) are significantly positively correlated (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient r(s) > 0.75) in…1 January, 2011 by Nigel Meredith, Richard Horne
The fluxes of energetic particles in the radiation belts are found to be strongly controlled by the solar wind conditions. In order to understand and predict the radiation particle intensities,…Read more on Recent developments in the radiation belt environment model
1 January, 2011 by Richard Phillips
Identifying markers that are indicative of individual state, related to fitness, and which could be used to study life-history tradeoffs in wild populations is extremely difficult. Recently, it has been…1 January, 2011
In this study, we use various diagnostic techniques to investigate the synoptic evolution of the Pacific–North American teleconnection pattern (PNA). National Center for Environment Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis…Read more on Synoptic analysis of the Pacific-North American teleconnection pattern
1 January, 2011
The persistence and climate noise properties of North Atlantic climate variability are of importance for trend identification and assessing predictability on all time scales from several days to many decades.…Read more on On the persistence and predictability properties of North Atlantic climate variability
1 January, 2011
The persistent regime behavior of the eddy-driven jet stream over the North Atlantic is investigated. The North Atlantic jet stream variability is characterized by the latitude of the maximumlower tropospheric…Read more on Persistent circulation regimes and preferred regime transitions in the North Atlantic
1 January, 2011 by Andrew Fleming, Helen Peat, Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey, Peter Fretwell
We present the first regional map of vegetation of anywhere on the Antarctic continent based on remote sensing (RS) data. We have used a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for…1 January, 2011 by Richard Phillips
The non-breeding movements of marine birds were poorly known until recently, but this information is essential to understanding the risk to different geographical populations from events on the wintering grounds.…1 January, 2011 by Adrian Jenkins, Ed King, Hugh Corr, Richard Hindmarsh, Richard Hindmarsh
The Glen exponent ncharacterizes the stress-dependence of ice deformation, directly influencing the rate at which ice masses respond to external forcing. The slow deformation in large ice-sheets makes laboratory rheometry…1 January, 2011 by Richard Phillips
Determining migratory strategies of seabirds is still a major challenge due to their relative inaccessibility. Small geolocators are improving this knowledge, but not all birds can be tracked. Stable isotope…Read more on Combining stable isotope analyses and geolocation to reveal kittiwake migration
1 January, 2011 by Robert Larter
The southern Bellingshausen Sea (SBS) is a rapidly-changing part of West Antarctica, where oceanic and atmospheric warming has led to the recent basal melting and break-up of the Wilkins ice…