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Showing 313 items
4 December, 2023
ANTARCTICA: Scientists aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough collected samples of seawater around the A23a mega iceberg, the largest iceberg in the world. New video footage shows the enormous iceberg, …
Read more on RRS Sir David Attenborough samples A23a iceberg during climate science mission
27 November, 2023
Construction has begun in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) with specialists arriving at Rothera Research Station to progress several projects to secure the future of polar operations and …
31 October, 2023
Polar science could reach new heights as researchers prepare to test the new Windracers ULTRA autonomous drone in Antarctica this season. A new, state-of-the-art autonomous drone capable of carrying a …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey unveils pilotless plane for testing in Antarctica
16 October, 2023
Antarctic fur seals that were hunted to near extinction have recovered but now face dangerous decline because of a lack of food, new research suggests. The study of fur seals, …
26 September, 2023
New measurements of how the boundary between onshore glacier and floating ice shelf glides back-and- forth could help predict melting The grounding line of the southern Ronne Ice Shelf in …
Read more on Antarctica’s glacial border moves for miles with the tide
21 September, 2023
The melting of the supergiant iceberg A-68 had a huge impact on the ocean around South Georgia, in sub-Antarctica, and significantly changed the Southern Ocean’s temperature and saltiness, with potentially …
Read more on Supergiant iceberg makes surrounding ocean surface colder and less salty
13 September, 2023
ANTARCTICA – Following the calving of the A-81 iceberg at the end of January 2023, the Brunt Ice Shelf is moving faster than before. It is currently moving approximately 4 …
Read more on Brunt Ice Shelf speeds up after calving of giant iceberg
24 August, 2023
Emperor penguin colonies experienced unprecedented breeding failure in a region of Antarctica where there was total sea ice loss in 2022. The discovery supports predictions that over 90% of emperor …
Read more on Loss of sea ice causes catastrophic breeding failure for emperor penguins
8 August, 2023
Extreme events in Antarctica such as ocean heatwaves and ice loss will almost certainly become more common and more severe, researchers say. With drastic action now needed to limit global …
Read more on New Antarctic extremes ‘virtually certain’ as world warms
15 June, 2023
Extreme space weather threatens vital satellites orbiting the Earth, including the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) which pass through the heart of the outer radiation belt. New research led by …
Read more on Scientists set out benchmarks for extreme space weather
8 June, 2023
Dramatic changes in the Polar Regions are reflected in a new edition map of Antarctica and the Arctic produced by cartographers at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). The flagship printed …
31 May, 2023
The ground beneath Antarctica’s most vulnerable glacier has been mapped for the first time, helping scientists to better understand how it is being affected by climate change. Analysis of the …
Read more on Ground beneath Thwaites Glacier mapped for first time
3 April, 2023
A new scientific and operational support facility at Rothera Research Station for British Antarctic Survey has been made weathertight, with the cladding complete and an operations tower installed.
Read more on Exterior complete for new Antarctic science and operations facility
29 March, 2023
A new study led by researchers at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) discovered microplastics in krill (Euphausia superba), a small shrimp-like crustacean, and salps (Salpa thompsoni), a gelatinous marine invertebrate. The …
Read more on Microplastic found in Antarctic krill and salps
15 February, 2023
The rapid retreat of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica appears to be driven by different processes under its floating ice shelf than researchers previously understood. Novel observations from where the …
Read more on New close-up view of melting beneath Thwaites Glacier
31 January, 2023
The UK’s new polar ship RRS Sir David Attenborough begins its polar science trials in Antarctica this week. A team of 30 national and international scientists, engineers and technical staff …
Read more on RRS Sir David Attenborough begins polar science trials
23 January, 2023
ANTARCTICA – 23 January 2023. A huge iceberg (1550 km²), almost the size of Greater London, has broken off the 150m thick Brunt Ice Shelf. It calved after cracks that …
Read more on Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica calves giant iceberg
20 January, 2023
Scientists have discovered a new emperor penguin colony in Antarctica using satellite mapping technology. This new colony makes a total of 66 known emperor penguin colonies around the coastline of …
23 November, 2022
Scientists on a research vessel in Antarctica watched the front of a glacier disintegrate and their measurements ‘went off the scale’. As well as witnessing disruptions on the ocean surface, …
15 November, 2022
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will enable ships navigating in polar ocean conditions to be more efficient using a new route planning tool created by British Antarctic Survey (BAS) researchers. The tool …
18 October, 2022
Satellites face greater chances of collision with space debris as a result of reduced density in the upper atmosphere. Increasing levels of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere will result in …
Read more on Climate change to increase lifetime of space pollution
12 October, 2022
The amazing survival strategies of polar marine creatures might help to explain how the first animals on Earth could have evolved earlier than the oldest fossils suggest according to new …
Read more on Learning about the first animals from life at the poles
5 October, 2022
Deep valleys buried under the seafloor of the North Sea record how the ancient ice sheets that used to cover the UK and Europe expelled water to stop themselves from …
Read more on Ice age valleys give clues to future ice sheet change
21 September, 2022
Pine Island Ice Shelf in West Antarctica, which holds back enough ice to raise sea levels by 0.5 metres, could be more vulnerable to complete disintegration than previously thought. A …
Read more on Scientists expose vulnerabilities of critical Antarctic ice shelf
28 July, 2022
Scientists have recorded markedly increased levels of ‘fluorinated forever chemicals’ in Antarctic snow which are thought to have originated from the use of CFC-replacements.
13 July, 2022
Researchers are heading to the Arctic to begin fieldwork to study walrus populations for the next stage in the Walrus from Space project.
7 July, 2022
A new study featuring contributions from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists has predicted the top emerging threats to ocean biodiversity over the coming decades.
24 May, 2022
A new report published today (Tuesday 24 May) sends a strong message to countries responsible for Antarctic governance meeting this week in Berlin, that there’s a need for urgent action on minimising climate change impacts in Antarctica and their far-reaching global consequences.
25 April, 2022
RRS Sir David Attenborough stewards Eric Bourne and Stephen Carpenter, tied the knot yesterday (Sunday 24 April) at British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Rothera Research Station. It is the first same-sex …
21 April, 2022
On 17 March 2022, Professor Dame Jane Francis, Director of the British Antarctic Survey, Nigel Bird, Director of Major Programmes at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Brian Love, Chief …
6 April, 2022
Researchers have used advanced ocean modelling techniques to reveal how greenhouse gas emissions contribute to warmer oceans and resulting melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Read more on New link between greenhouse gases and sea-level rise
31 March, 2022
The RRS Sir David Attenborough completes ice trials during its maiden voyage to Antarctica – a critical milestone in the commissioning of Britain’s new polar ship. This is the first …
Read more on RRS Sir David Attenborough completes ice trials
20 January, 2022
Scientists monitoring the giant A68a iceberg from space reveal that a huge amount of fresh water was released as it melted around the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. An …
Read more on ‘Mega iceberg’ releases billions of tonnes of fresh water into ocean
10 January, 2022
Marine life hitching a ride on ocean-crossing ships poses a threat to Antarctica’s pristine ecosystems, with the potential for invasive species to arrive from almost anywhere across the globe, say …
Read more on Invasive species ‘hitchhiking’ on ships threaten Antarctica’s unique ecosystems
20 December, 2021
Far beneath the ice shelves of the Antarctic, there is more marine life than expected, finds a recent study in the journal Current Biology, published this week (20 December 2021). …
Read more on Abundance of life discovered beneath an Antarctic ice shelf
28 October, 2021
RRS Sir David Attenborough visits London as pre-COP event ahead of first mission to Antarctica. The UK’s new polar research ship is making its London debut in Greenwich (Thursday 28 October …
14 October, 2021
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and WWF are seeking the public’s help to search for walrus in thousands of satellite images taken from space, with the aim of learning more about …
Read more on WALRUS FROM SPACE: Animal spotters wanted to join mass survey!
19 May, 2021
For the first time, geological records have been used to reconstruct the history of Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica. The ice shelf is the largest remaining remnant of a …
Read more on Scientists reconstruct past history of largest ice shelf on Antarctic Peninsula
26 February, 2021
A huge iceberg (1270 km²) the size of the county of Bedfordshire has broken off the 150-m thick Brunt Ice Shelf, almost a decade after scientists at British Antarctic Survey …
17 February, 2021
Scientists have completed the first phase of a research mission to determine the impact of the giant A-68a iceberg on one of the world’s most important ecosystems. A team of …
Read more on Robotic gliders deployed on giant iceberg mission
15 February, 2021
Far underneath the ice shelves of the Antarctic, there’s more life than expected, finds a recent study in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, published this week (15 February 2021). …
Read more on Discovery of life beneath Antarctica’s ice shelves
2 February, 2021
A research mission to determine the impact of the giant A-68a iceberg on one of the world’s most important ecosystems departs from Stanley in the Falkland Islands today (2 February …
11 January, 2021
The next stage of building a scientific support facility in Antarctica begins this week [11 January 2020]. To avoid the risk of introducing COVID-19 to British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Rothera …
Read more on Construction starts at UK’s largest Antarctic research hub
9 December, 2020
Polar climate scientists have created the most high resolution past record of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds. The results, published this week (9 December) in the journal Communications Earth and …
Read more on Southern Hemisphere westerly winds likely to intensify as climate warms
27 November, 2020
Large krill swarms in the Southern Ocean could help remove additional carbon from the atmosphere, in a way that is currently ‘hidden’ in global models. Scientists knew that the carbon-rich …
Read more on Krill provide a highway for ocean carbon storage
19 November, 2020
An international research team led by UK scientists has revealed the return of critically endangered Antarctic blue whales to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, 50 years after whaling all …
Read more on Blue whales return to South Georgia after near extinction
21 October, 2020
BIRKENHEAD. Today (Wednesday 21 October) the UK’s most advanced polar research ship – RRS Sir David Attenborough – leaves Cammell Laird shipyard for two weeks of technical sea trials. In …
Read more on RRS Sir David Attenborough departs Cammell Laird for technical sea trials
9 September, 2020
Newly discovered deep seabed channels beneath Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica may be the pathway for warm ocean water to melt the underside of the ice. Data from two research …
10 August, 2020
A new study, published this week in the journal Nature Climate Change, supports predictions that the Arctic could be free of sea ice by 2035. High temperatures in the Arctic …
Read more on Past evidence supports complete loss of Arctic sea-ice by 2035
5 August, 2020
A new study using satellite mapping technology reveals there are nearly 20% more emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica than was previously thought. The results provide an important benchmark for monitoring …
Read more on Scientists discover new penguin colonies from space
17 June, 2020
Scientists have discovered that summer sea ice in the Weddell Sea area of Antarctica has decreased by one million square kilometres – an area twice the size of Spain – …
6 June, 2020
Over the next few days, British Antarctic Survey (BAS) research and support teams will return from Antarctica to UK after a 20-day sea voyage on board a charter ship and …
20 May, 2020
The completion marks the latest milestone for the £140m UK Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme commissioned by UKRI-NERC and undertaken by the British Antarctic Survey. Surrounded by spectacular scenery, dominated by …
20 May, 2020
Scientists have discovered where a whale species that feeds around the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia breeds during the winter months. This understanding of where the animals migrate from will …
28 April, 2020
Food wrapping, fishing gear and plastic waste continue to reach the Antarctic. Two new studies into how plastic debris is reaching sub-Antarctic islands are published in the journal Environment International. …
28 January, 2020
Teams from the US and UK have successfully completed scientific fieldwork in one of the most remote and hostile areas of West Antarctica – coinciding with the 200th anniversary of …
Read more on Scientists drill for first time on remote Antarctic Glacier
13 January, 2020
A new study identifies the non-native species most likely to ‘invade’ the Antarctic Peninsula region over the next decade. It provides a baseline for all operators in the region to …
Read more on Predicting non-native ‘invasions’ in Antarctica
19 December, 2019
A major modernisation programme at British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Rothera Research Station begins its second ‘summer season’ this month with the arrival of a 60-plus person team from BAM. Construction …
Read more on Antarctica: Getting Ready for RRS Sir David Attenborough
17 October, 2019
A new technique for analysing satellite images may help scientists detect and count stranded whales from space. Researchers tested a new detection method using Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite images …
9 October, 2019
In a new study published this week (Wednesday 9 October) in the journal Biological Conservation, an international team of researchers recommends the need for additional measures to protect and conserve …
Read more on Study recommends special protection of emperor penguins
26 September, 2019
The UK’s new polar research ship is formally named the RRS Sir David Attenborough today [Thursday 26 September] by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. In their first engagement of …
5 September, 2019
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Sir David Attenborough will attend the Royal Ceremonial Naming of the New Polar Research Ship at the Cammell Laird shipyard on Thursday 26 …
Read more on Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to attend Naming Ceremony of New Polar Ship
3 July, 2019
A team of scientists has discovered a rare lava lake on a remote and inaccessible sub-Antarctic island. This volcano in the South Sandwich Islands is only the 8th to be identified worldwide to have a persistent lava lake.
Read more on Discovery of rare lava lake on remote sub-Antarctic island
25 June, 2019
A remote and unoccupied research station in Antarctica has, for the first time, collected important scientific measurements of climate, ozone and space weather thanks to ground-breaking technology developed by British …
Read more on Engineers automate science from remote Antarctic station
19 June, 2019
A new study shows how marine life around Antarctica returned after the extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs. A team led by British Antarctic Survey studied just under 3000 …
Read more on Marine life recovery following the dinosaurs’ extinction
13 June, 2019
Cartographers at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has produced the most detailed and up-to-date published map of Greenland available.
Read more on New map of Greenland reveals fast-changing environment
25 April, 2019
Researchers at British Antarctic Survey have discovered “catastrophic” breeding failure at one of world’s largest emperor penguin colonies.
Read more on “Catastrophic” breeding failure at one of world’s largest emperor penguin colonies
23 April, 2019
Scientists embark on a three-week flying campaign today (23 April) to study methane emissions from gas fields in the southern North Sea. Using specialised scientific equipment, on board one of …
Read more on Scientists to study methane emissions in North Sea
9 April, 2019
This week a team of European researchers announces its plans for an ambitious mission to find the oldest ice on Earth (9 April 2019). Antarctica’s ice has the potential to …
Read more on New mission for 1.5 million year climate record
25 March, 2019
A new study reveals the importance of a small number of intense storms around Antarctica in controlling the amount of snow falling across the continent.
Read more on Antarctic snowfall dominated by a few extreme snowstorms
12 February, 2019
A new study on ice cores shows that reductions in sea ice in the Arctic in the period between 30-100,000 years ago led to major climate events. During this period, …
Read more on Arctic sea ice loss in past linked to abrupt climate events
4 February, 2019
An international team of scientists heads to Antarctica this week (4 February 2019) to investigate a mysterious marine ecosystem that’s been hidden beneath an Antarctic ice shelf for up to …
Read more on Expedition heads to newly exposed Antarctic ecosystem
24 January, 2019
A team of scientists and engineers has for the first time successfully drilled over two kilometres through the ice sheet in West Antarctica using hot water. This research will help …
Read more on Scientists drill to record depths in West Antarctica
21 January, 2019
The population of Antarctic krill, the favourite food of many whales, penguins, fish and seals, shifted southward during a recent period of warming in their key habitat, new research shows. …
Read more on Antarctic krill population contracts southward as polar oceans warm
18 December, 2018
British Antarctic Survey is seeking to purchase a small passenger aircraft to work alongside its de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Series 110 (Dash 7). The aircraft will transport science and support teams and cargo between Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula and Punta Arenas, Chile.
Read more on British Antarctic Survey seeks small passenger aircraft for Antarctica
10 December, 2018
A new study of snowfall across Antarctica provides vital information in the study of future sea-level rise. A team of scientists from NASA and British Antarctic Survey (BAS), describes how …
Read more on Increased snowfall in Antarctica buffers sea-level rise
29 November, 2018
A team of international scientists from BAS, University of Iowa and GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences has discovered a new method to explain how radiation belts are formed around …
19 November, 2018
A team of UK and U.S. polar scientists are about to embark on one of the largest joint Antarctic missions for more than 70 years. It’s the first field season …
Read more on Ambitious UK-U.S. Antarctic research mission begins
14 November, 2018
Scientists have discovered an area near the South Pole where the base of the Antarctic Ice Sheet is melting unexpectedly quickly. Using radar to look through three km of ice, …
Read more on Discovery of high geothermal heat at South Pole
5 November, 2018
Unveiling key geological features of the Earth’s lithosphere
1 November, 2018
Scientists have used detailed high-resolution satellite images provided by Maxar Technologies’ DigitalGlobe, to detect, count and describe four different species of whales. Reported this week in the journal Marine Mammal …
30 October, 2018
Science and support teams from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are gearing up for the start of the Antarctic summer field season. A major focus for the season is the West …
8 October, 2018
The amount of plastic washing up onto the shores of remote South Atlantic islands is 10 times greater than it was a decade ago, according to new research published today …
Read more on Increase in plastics reaching remote South Atlantic Islands
3 September, 2018
Satellites are more likely to be at risk from high-speed solar wind than a major geomagnetic storm according to a new UK-US study published this week in the Journal Space …
Read more on Satellites more at risk from fast solar wind than a major space storm
13 August, 2018
Melting of ice shelves in West Antarctica speeds up and slows down in response to changes in deep ocean temperature, and is far more variable than previously thought, according to …
Read more on Melt-rate of West Antarctic Ice Sheet highly sensitive to changes in ocean temperatures
23 July, 2018
A new study of lake sediments from the sub-Antarctic reveals for the first time that increases in westerly winds are likely to reduce the ability of the Southern Ocean to …
Read more on Increases in winds weaken Southern Ocean carbon sink
17 July, 2018
The most comprehensive magnetic map of Antarctica ever produced is published this week (15 July 2018). The new map – which includes 3.5 million line-kilometres of magnetic anomaly data collected …
Read more on New magnetic anomaly map helps unveil Antarctica
11 July, 2018
RRS Sir David Attenborough hull launch into River Mersey 14 July Update 20 July 2018 – watch video of launch A major milestone in the build of the UK’s state-of-the-art …
5 June, 2018
Scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have, for the first time, tracked the lives of leopard seals as they migrate around Antarctica. The team followed these formidable predators as they …
Read more on New insight into an enigmatic Antarctic apex predator
17 May, 2018
A new study of marine fossils from Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand and South America reveals that one of the greatest changes to the evolution of life in our oceans occurred …
Read more on Major shift in marine life occurred 33 million years later
17 May, 2018
The UK and large parts of northern Europe could become windier if global temperatures reach 1.5˚C above pre-industrial levels, according to a new study. This has implications for wind energy …
Read more on European wind energy generation potential in a 1.5˚C world
9 April, 2018
The first comprehensive study of snowfall across Antarctica provides vital information in the study of future sea-level rise. Presenting this week (Monday 9 April 2018) at the European Geosciences Union …
Read more on New study reveals increased snowfall in Antarctica over last two centuries
2 March, 2018
Heavy sea ice conditions have thwarted a science mission from reaching the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica from which a large iceberg broke off in July 2017. A team …
Read more on Research mission to Larsen C Ice Shelf thwarted by sea ice
12 February, 2018
A team of scientists, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), heads to Antarctica this week (14 February) to investigate a mysterious marine ecosystem that’s been hidden beneath an Antarctic ice …
Read more on First expedition to newly exposed Antarctic ecosystem
10 January, 2018
An international team of researchers, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), travels to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia this month (January) to carry out the first scientific whale survey …
Read more on Expedition to ‘health-check’ Southern Right Whales
14 December, 2017
A new map of what lies beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet is published this week (Thursday 14 December 2017). By providing scientists with the most comprehensive, high resolution and accurate …
Read more on New map reveals landscape beneath Greenland’s ice sheet
11 December, 2017
Cartographers surveying Antarctica have discovered Mt Hope is the tallest mountain in the British Antarctic Territory (BAT) at 3,239 m (10,654 ft) above sea level. Until now, maps showed Mt …
Read more on New satellite imagery reveals new highest Antarctic Peninsula Mountain
20 November, 2017
The populations of wandering, black-browed and grey-headed albatrosses have halved over the last 35 years on sub-antarctic Bird Island according to a new study published today (20 November) in the …
Read more on Albatrosses in decline from fishing and environmental change
20 November, 2017
A UK team of researchers has produced high-resolution maps of the bed beneath a major glacier in West Antarctica, which will help them predict future sea-level rise from this region. …
Read more on Maps reveal landscape beneath Antarctica’s weak underbelly