1 January, 2008 by Roger Worland
Maturation to adulthood and successful reproduction in the Antarctic fairy shrimp, Branchinecta gaini, must be completed within a physiologically challenging temporal window of ca. 2.5 months in the southern Antarctic…1 January, 2008 by Roger Worland
A technique for rapidly measuring non-lethal thermal tolerance traits in small insects and terrestrial arthropods of similar size is described. Single or multiple individuals are heated or cooled in an…1 January, 2008
Continuous Plankton Recorder data suggest that the Irminger Sea supports a major proportion of the surface-living population of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus in the northern North Atlantic, but there have…Read more on Spatial demography of Calanus finmarchicus in the Irminger Sea
1 January, 2008
Preservation of ecosystem structure is the guiding principle by which the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) endeavors to manage the harvests of living resources of…Read more on Reconciling fisheries with conservation: three examples from the Southern Ocean
1 January, 2008 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand
Throughout the last decade large sediment drifts located on the upper continental rise west of the Antarctic Peninsula were the target of oceanographic measurements, bathymetric mapping, seismic investigations. shallow sediment…1 January, 2008 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Robert Larter
Three megascopic and disseminated tephra layers (which we refer to as layers A, B, and C) occur in late Quaternary glaciomarine sediments deposited on the West Antarctic continental margin. The…1 January, 2008
Vestimentiferan tubeworms are significant members of deep-sea chemosynthetically-driven communities, including hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. The reproductive condition in this taxon is rarely studied because of sampling constraints inherent to…1 January, 2008 by Peter Ward
The cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis is highly abundant and ubiquitous in the marine epipelagic environment, yet rates of mortality in this species have rarely been quantified; indeed we are lacking…Read more on Spring mortality of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis in polar waters
1 January, 2008 by Dominic Hodgson
1 January, 2008 by Paul Holland
Glaciological processes at grounding lines, which divide floating ice shelves from grounded ice sheets, may strongly influence the dynamics and evolution of inland ice. Therefore, understanding the oceanic forcing on…Read more on A model of tidally dominated ocean processes near ice shelf grounding lines.
1 January, 2008 by Adrian Jenkins, Paul Holland
A three-dimensional ocean general circulation model is used to study the response of idealized ice shelves to a series of ocean-warming scenarios. The model predicts that the total ice shelf…Read more on The response of ice shelf basal melting to variations in ocean temperature.
1 January, 2008 by Richard Horne, Sarah Glauert
According to existing theory, electrons are accelerated up to ultra-relativistic energies(1) inside Jupiter's magnetic field by betatron and Fermi processes as a result of radial diffusion towards the planet and…1 January, 2008 by Claire Waluda, Kevin Hughes
The short-term behavioural effects of helicopter overflights on breeding king penguins Aptenodytes patagonicus at South Georgia were examined. Seventeen helicopter overflights were made at altitudes between 230 and 1768 m…1 January, 2008 by Peter Ward
To date, little research has been carried out on pelagic gastropod molluscs (pteropods) in Southern Ocean ecosystems. However, recent predictions are that, due to acidification resulting from a business as…1 January, 2008 by Joanne Johnson
Dramatic changes (acceleration, thinning, and grounding-line retreat of major ice streams) in the Amundsen Sea sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) have been observed during the past two…1 January, 2008 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Joanne Johnson
We present two Be-10 exposure ages from erratic boulders at Cape Adare, northem Victoria Land. The exposure ages obtained suggest that Cape Adare was covered by ice during the last…Read more on The last deglaciation of Cape Adare, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica
1 January, 2008 by Geraint Tarling
Swarms of Antarctic krill are frequently biased towards certain body sizes, sexes, maturities and physiological states. However, the mechanisms causing such biases remain unclear, with some speculating on differential responses…1 January, 2008 by David Barnes
The deep sea surrounds Antarctica and constitutes about 80%, of the Southern Ocean (SO) seabed. Scientific cruises (e.g. ANDEEP) reveal that SO abyssal life can be highly abundant, rich and…1 January, 2008 by David Barnes, Katrin Linse
The remote South Sandwich arc is an archipelago of small volcanic islands and seamounts entirely surrounded by deep water and about 600 km away from the closest island, South Georgia.…1 January, 2008 by Gareth Marshall
The recent intensification of the circumpolar circulation in the SH troposphere in summer and autumn has been attributed to external forcing such as stratospheric ozone depletion and greenhouse gas (GHG)…1 January, 2008
Continuous flow analysis (CFA) is a well-established method to obtain information about impurity contents in ice cores as indicators of past changes in the climate system. A section of an…1 January, 2008 by Martin Collins
The foremost temporal signal to the deep benthos, where temperature and light conditions are relatively constant, is a seasonal pulse of organic carbon sinking from the photic layer. In the…1 January, 2008 by Martin Collins
Direct time-series observations of deep-sea biological activity are largely restricted to passive observations of benthic epifauna using unbaited time-lapse camera systems. However, highly mobile fauna such as scavenging fish are…1 January, 2008 by Andy Smith, Ed King
We conducted a seismic and radar survey of the central part of midtre Lovenbreen, a small, polythermal valley glacier in Svalbard. We determined the physical properties of the material beneath…1 January, 2008 by Alexandra Weiss, John King, Thomas Lachlan-Cope
We present aircraft measurements of boundary-layer structure and surface turbulent fluxes from a flight over the Larsen Ice Shelf, Antarctica. Warm advection, associated with föhn flow, led to the formation…Read more on Airborne measurements in a stable boundary layer over the Larsen Ice Shelf, Antarctica
1 January, 2008 by Thomas Bracegirdle
For many locations around the globe some of the most severe weather is associated with outbreaks of cold air over relatively warm oceans, referred to here as marine cold-air outbreaks…1 January, 2008 by Sally Thorpe
We investigated phytoplankton blooms around the island of South Georgia, in the South Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, during 3 austral summer cruises. Blooms developed largely to the northwest,…1 January, 2008 by David Barnes
Several studies suggest that assemblages in intertidal zones that experience frequent physical extremes (e.g. wave-impacts) should be highly dependent on the regional input of propagules. Therefore with higher disturbance in…Read more on Structure of intertidal and subtidal assemblages in Arctic vs temperate boulder shores
1 January, 2008
Dust can affect the radiative balance of the atmosphere by absorbing or reflecting incoming solar radiation(1); it can also be a source of micronutrients, such as iron, to the ocean(2).…Read more on Dust-climate couplings over the past 800,000 years from the EPICA Dome C ice core
1 January, 2008
We estimated a weakening of the Southern Ocean carbon dioxide (CO2) sink since 1981 relative to the trend expected from the large increase in atmospheric CO2. We agree with Law…1 January, 2008 by Philip Leat
The distribution and geochemical relationships of the Early Jurassic Ferrar large igneous province (LIP) are examined and it is concluded that they support the lateral flow model for the emplacement…Read more on On the long-distance transport of Ferrar magmas
1 January, 2008 by Nigel Meredith, Richard Horne
The excitation of nightside whistler mode chorus emissions in the low-density region outside the plasmapause is investigated during an injection of plasma sheet electrons into the inner magnetosphere. CRRES data…1 January, 2008 by David Barnes, Katrin Linse
The Scotia Are, linking the Magellan region with the Antarctic Peninsula, comprises young and old islands both near continents and isolated, and is the only semi-continuous link between cool temperate…Read more on Biodiversity of echinoids and their epibionts around the Scotia Arc, Antarctica
1 January, 2008 by Hua Lu
This study documents decadal-scale changes in the Holton and Tan (HT) relationship, i.e., the influence of the lower stratospheric equatorial quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) on the northern hemisphere (NH) extratropical circulation.…1 January, 2008 by Hua Lu, Mark Clilverd
This study investigates if the descent of odd nitrogen, generated in the thermosphere and the upper mesosphere by energetic particle precipitation (EPP-NOx), has a detectable impact on stratospheric wind and…Read more on Geomagnetic perturbations on stratospheric circulation in late winter and spring
1 January, 2008 by Hua Lu
Statistically measurable responses of atmospheric circulation to solar wind dynamic pressure are found in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) zonal-mean zonal wind and temperature, and on the Northern Annular Mode (NAM)…1 January, 2008 by Gareth Marshall
The frequency of mesoscale cyclones in the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) region during 1991-94 is correlated with the Southern Hemisphere Annular Mode (SAM) index, most strongly during winter and spring.…1 January, 2008
When planning the acquisition of new palaeo proxy data for reconstructing past climates, many factors influence the decision of where the proxies are to be collected. One such influence is…1 January, 2008
It is thought that the Northern Hemisphere experienced only ephemeral glaciations from the Late Eocene to the Early Pliocene epochs (about 38 to 4 million years ago), and that the…Read more on Late Pliocene Greenland glaciation controlled by a decline in atmospheric CO2 levels
1 January, 2008
Sunshade geoengineering - the installation of reflective mirrors between the Earth and the Sun to reduce incoming solar radiation, has been proposed as a mitigative measure to counteract anthropogenic global…1 January, 2008
The "Panama Hypothesis" states that the gradual closure of the Panama Seaway, between 13 million years ago (13 Ma) and 2.6 Ma, led to decreased mixing of Atlantic and Pacific…1 January, 2008
Systematic strategies from applied mathematics for stochastic modelling in climate are reviewed here. One of the topics discussed is the stochastic modelling of mid-latitude low-frequency variability through a few teleconnection…Read more on An applied mathematics perspective on stochastic modelling for climate
1 January, 2008
Passive microwave snow depth, ice concentration, and ice motion estimates are combined with snowfall from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) reanalysis (ERA-40) from 1979-2001 to estimate the…1 January, 2008
Oceanic phytoplankton, absorbing solar radiation, can influence the bio-optical properties of seawater and hence upper ocean physics. We include this process in a global ocean general circulation model (OGCM) coupled…Read more on Ocean biogeochemical response to phytoplankton-light feedback in a global model
1 January, 2008
In September-October 2005, the juxtaposition of low-and high-pressure anomalies at 130 degrees W and 60 degrees W, respectively, created strong and persistent northerly airflow across the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP).…1 January, 2008 by Andrew Clarke, John King, Michael Meredith
We investigate the seasonal variability in freshwater inputs to the Marguerite Bay region (Western Antarctic Peninsula) using a time series of oxygen isotopes in seawater from samples collected in the…1 January, 2008 by Eugene Murphy, John King, Michael Meredith
The ocean around South Georgia, in the southwest Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, is highly productive, with large stocks of Antarctic krill supporting extensive colonies of marine and land-based…1 January, 2008 by Michael Meredith
The Southern Ocean hosts the formation of the densest layers of the oceanic overturning circulation, and provides a climatically sensitive element of deep ocean ventilation. An oceanographic section across the…1 January, 2008 by Nigel Meredith, Richard Horne
Fast magnetosonic waves can lead to the local acceleration of electrons from ∼10 keV up to a few MeV on a timescale of 1–2 d and may play an important…1 January, 2008 by Gareth Marshall
The Antarctic Peninsula has displayed significant climate change over recent decades. Understanding contemporaneous changes in accumulation is made difficult because the region's complex orography means that ice-core data are not…1 January, 2008 by Tracy Moffat-Griffin
Gravity waves play an important role in determining the structure and dynamics of the mesopause region. In this study the Imaging Riometer for Ionospheric Studies (IRIS) at Halley, Antarctica (76S,…Read more on Observing mesospheric gravity waves with an imaging riometer.
1 January, 2008 by Andy Smith, Hugh Corr
[1] Spatially coincident radar and seismic data collected two weeks apart on Rutford Ice Stream were analyzed to investigate the mechanical and hydrological characteristics of the ice-bed interface. Seismic data…1 January, 2008
An unusually dense collection of some 150 dead crabeater seals (Family Phocidae), in various stages of decay, occurs in the Brandy Bay hinterland, north-western James Ross Island, northern Antarctic Peninsula.…1 January, 2008 by Keith Nicholls
During the austral winter of 2007 a Weddell Seal tagged with a miniaturized conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) instrument travelled over the central southern Weddell Sea continental shelf. The instrument yielded 750 CTD…Read more on Wintertime ocean conditions over the southern Weddell Sea continental shelf, Antarctica
1 January, 2008 by Povl Abrahamsen, Keith Nicholls
A combination of measurements from Autosub, an autonomous underwater vehicle, and ship-based instruments are used to describe the oceanographic conditions beneath Fimbul Ice Shelf, Antarctica. The data show an intricate…Read more on High-latitude oceanography using the Autosub autonomous underwater vehicle
1 January, 2008 by Gareth Marshall, John Turner
Although both the Arctic and Antarctic are subject to a similar annual cycle of solar radiation and the same increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, over the previous two decades the two…Read more on The Arctic and Antarctic: two faces of climate change
1 January, 2008
With global land and sea temperatures rising, the importance of accurate monitoring of the world's ice sheets is increasing. Satellite radar altimetry can be used to measure elevation changes of…Read more on Greenland: Bringing together remote sensing and fieldwork.
1 January, 2008
Compilation of existing population data through the 1999/2000 season for Northern Giant Petrels Macronectes halli and Southern Giant Petrels M. giganteus indicates that the total breeding population of Northern Giant…1 January, 2008 by David Pearce
Seven independent clone libraries were constructed to study the biodiversity of the bacterioplankton in the surface waters around Southern Thule, South Sandwich Islands, in order to identify the species present,…1 January, 2008 by Lloyd Peck
Animals can respond in three main ways to environments that change and deteriorate. They can cope with their inherent physiological flexibility, evolve or adapt to new conditions, or migrate away…1 January, 2008 by Lloyd Peck, Melody Clark
Cold-blooded Antarctic marine species are highly stenothermal and possibly the most temperature-sensitive group on Earth. Studies to date have produced upper lethal temperatures in the range of 4 to 10…1 January, 2008 by Mervyn Freeman
Collisionless magnetic reconnection requires the violation of ideal MHD by various kinetic-scale effects. Recent research has highlighted the potential importance of wave-particle interactions by showing that Vlasov simulations of unstable…Read more on Nonlinear dependence of ion-acoustic anomalous resistivity on electron drift velocity
1 January, 2008
Release of stored magnetic energy via particle acceleration is a characteristic feature of astrophysical plasmas. Magnetic reconnection is one of the primary candidate mechanisms for releasing non-potential energy from magnetized…Read more on Fluctuating electric field particle acceleration at a magnetic field null point
1 January, 2008 by Janet Silk, Richard Phillips
1. A wide range of instrumentation has been deployed on albatrosses and petrels at Bird Island, South Georgia, in studies dating back to the mid-1980s. Early results indicated the huge…1 January, 2008 by Claire Allen
During the past ten years, the Antarctic Peninsula has been identified as the most rapidly warming region of the Southern Hemisphere and it is important to place this warming in…1 January, 2008
The hydrothermal vent zoarcid fish Thermarces cerberus is a top predator that inhabits deep-sea hydrothermal vents on the East Pacific Rise (EPR). Bacterial chemoautotrophy at these sites supports abundant animal…1 January, 2008 by Peter Convey
Aim. To identify Antarctic palaeoendemic taxa and their probable glacial refugia from regional groups of endemic species records. Location. Antarctica. Methods. We compiled a list of Antarctic non-marine invertebrates from…Read more on Surviving out in the cold: Antarctic endemic invertebrates and their refugia
1 January, 2008 by Michael Thorne, Roger Worland, Melody Clark
The physiology of the Antarctic microarthropod, Cryptopygus antarcticus, has been well studied, particularly with regard to its ability to withstand low winter temperatures. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon…1 January, 2008 by Richard Phillips
This study examined divergence in the foraging distribution, at-sea behaviour and provisioning strategies of a small procellarid, the Cook’s petrel Pterodroma cookii, during chick-rearing at 2 islands off New Zealand,…1 January, 2008
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a kinetically and thermodynamically stable molecule. It is easily formed by the oxidation of organic molecules, during combustion or respiration, but is difficult to reduce. The…Read more on Reversible interconversion of carbon dioxide and formate by an electroactive enzyme
1 January, 2008 by Eugene Murphy
1. Implementing an ecosystem approach to fisheries management requires an effective ecosystem monitoring programme, the utility of which depends upon its ability (measured by the statistical power) to detect effects…1 January, 2008 by Howard Roscoe
The UV-visible Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars (GOMOS) instrument onboard Envisat performs nighttime measurements of ozone, NO2, NO3 and of the aerosol extinction, using the stellar occultation method.…1 January, 2008 by Richard Phillips
Whilst we have now a good understanding how past glaciation influenced species at the northern hemisphere, our knowledge of patterns and modes of speciation is far more limited for the…1 January, 2008 by Dominic Hodgson, James Smith, Stephen Roberts
The Antarctic Peninsula has experienced a dramatic increase in temperature and the loss of ca. 14,000 km2 of ice-shelf area in recent years. During this time George VI Ice Shelf…1 January, 2008 by Mark Clilverd
For some time theoretical modeling has shown that electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves should play an important role in the loss of relativistic electrons from the radiation belts, through precipitation…1 January, 2008 by Mark Clilverd
For many years it has been suggested that transient luminous events (TLE) occurring over thunderstorms may produce significant modifications to neutral atmospheric chemistry. Some have speculated that large ionisation increases…1 January, 2008 by Mark Clilverd
The Carrington event of August/September 1859 was the most significant solar proton event (SPE) of the last 450 years, about four times larger than the solar proton fluence of the…Read more on Atmospheric impact of the Carrington event solar protons
1 January, 2008 by Paul Rodhouse
Over the last four decades, several ommastrephid squid stocks have shown rapid expansion and contraction, driving highly variable and sometimes boom and bust fisheries. These include Illex illecebrosus in the…1 January, 2008 by Alexandra Weiss
The Mesoscale Alpine Programme's Riviera project investigated the turbulence structure and related exchange processes in an Alpine valley by combining a detailed experimental campaign with high-resolution numerical modelling. The present…1 January, 2008 by Eric Wolff
To improve quantitative interpretation of ice core aeolian dust records, a systematic methodological comparison was made. This involved methods for water-insoluble particle counting (Coulter counter and laser-sensing particle detector), soluble…Read more on Proxies and measurement techniques for mineral dust in Antarctic ice cores
1 January, 2008
Aim To produce a robust, comprehensive global biome reconstruction for the Middle Pliocene (c. 3.6–2.6 Ma), which is based on an internally consistent palaeobotanical data set and a state-of-the-art coupled…Read more on A new global biome reconstruction and data-model comparison for the Middle Pliocene