We want to share news about our research and operational activities with as many people as possible around the world. We write and issue press releases and news stories. Browse our latest news here. If you are a journalist and would like to be added to our news distribution list please contact our Press Office.
Showing 356 items
2 January, 2014
Pine Island Glacier sensitive to climatic variability A new study published in Science this month suggests the thinning of Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica is much more susceptible to …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Pine Island Glacier and climatic variability
10 September, 2013
Life found in the sediments of an Antarctic subglacial lake for the first time Evidence of diverse life forms dating back nearly a hundred thousand years has been found in …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Evidence of life in frozen sediments
21 August, 2013
Warming Antarctic seas likely to impact on krill habitats Antarctic krill are usually less than 6 cm in length but their size belies the major role they play in sustaining …
3 July, 2013
A new study has cast doubt on the claim that crabs may have disappeared from Antarctica only to return due to warming seas. The theory surfaced two years ago following …
18 April, 2013
Age matters to Antarctic clams A new study of Antarctic clams reveals that age matters when it comes to adapting to the effects of climate change. The research provides new …
14 April, 2013
New insight into accelerating summer ice melt on the Antarctic Peninsula A new 1000-year Antarctic Peninsula climate reconstruction shows that summer ice melting has intensified almost ten-fold, and mostly since …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Increase in melt rates on Antarctic Peninsula
28 March, 2013
Summer melt season is getting longer on the Antarctic Peninsula, new data show New research from the Antarctic Peninsula shows that the summer melt season has been getting longer over …
5 February, 2013
New state-of-the-art Antarctic research station becomes fully operational this month Britain’s latest Antarctic Research Station becomes fully operational this month, signalling a new dawn for 21st Century polar research. Opening …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: New research station operational
16 January, 2013
New Antarctic geological timeline aids future sea-level predictions Radiocarbon dates of tiny fossilised marine animals found in Antarctica’s seabed sediments offer new clues about the recent rapid ice loss from …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Assessing potential sea level rise
27 December, 2012
Antarctic lake mission called off In the early hours of Christmas Day (Tuesday 25 December 2012) Professor Martin Siegert, Principal Investigator of the Subglacial Lake Ellsworth experiment, confirmed that the …
12 December, 2012
British team set to access and sample one of the last unexplored environments on Earth This week (12 December) a British team of scientists and engineers, including scientists from British …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: British team to explore buried lake
25 November, 2012
First evidence of ocean acidification affecting live marine creatures in the Southern Ocean The shells of marine snails – known as pteropods – living in the seas around Antarctica are …
11 November, 2012
Why Antarctic sea ice cover has increased under the effects of climate change The first direct evidence that marked changes to Antarctic sea ice drift have occurred over the last …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Changing winds increasing sea ice cover
17 October, 2012
Ice sheet retreat controlled by the landscape Ice-sheet retreat can halt temporarily during long phases of climate warming, according to scientists. A UK team led by Durham University has found …
7 September, 2012
British team set to embark on ambitious Antarctic mission to penetrate & sample ancient buried lake After 16 years of planning the countdown is on for one of the most …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Mission to Antarctic buried lake
22 August, 2012
New climate history adds to understanding of recent Antarctic Peninsula warming Results published this week by a team of polar scientists from Britain, Australia and France adds a new dimension …
5 August, 2012
New study helps predict impact of ocean acidification on shellfish An international study to understand and predict the likely impact of ocean acidification on shellfish and other marine organisms living …
29 July, 2012
New discovery of how carbon is stored in the Southern Ocean A team of British and Australian scientists has discovered an important method of how carbon is drawn down from …
25 July, 2012
Hidden rift valley discovered beneath West Antarctica reveals new insight into accelerating ice loss Scientists have discovered a one mile deep rift valley hidden beneath the ice in West Antarctica, …
30 April, 2012
Antarctic albatross displays shift in breeding habits A new study of the wandering albatross – one of the largest birds on Earth – has shown that some of the birds …
25 April, 2012
Warm ocean currents cause majority of ice loss from Antarctica Reporting this week (Thursday 26 April) in the journal Nature, an international team of scientists led by British Antarctic Survey …
13 April, 2012
Scientists count penguins from space A new study using satellite mapping technology reveals there are twice as many emperor penguins in Antarctica than was previously thought. The results provide an …
16 January, 2012
Engineering team completes ambitious Antarctic expedition in the ‘deep-field’ A team of four British Antarctic Survey (BAS) engineers has returned to the UK after completing a gruelling journey to one …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Challenging mission accomplished
22 December, 2011
New research shows how much food is needed by seabirds An international group of scientists has shown that many seabirds begin to suffer when the food available for them in …
5 December, 2011
Scientist on BBC Frozen Planet investigates how world’s largest glacier is contributing to sea-level rise A team of scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is to survey the largest glacier …
16 November, 2011
Gamburtsev Mountains enigma unraveled in interior East Antarctica The birth of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains buried beneath the vast East Antarctic Ice Sheet — a puzzle mystifying scientists since their …
11 October, 2011
British Antarctic Survey engineering team heads to Antarctica to explore hidden lake Next week a British engineering team from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) heads off to Antarctica for the first …
11 July, 2011
Underwater Antarctic volcanoes discovered in the Southern Ocean Scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have discovered previously unknown volcanoes in the ocean waters around the remote South Sandwich Islands. Using …
4 July, 2011
Antarctic krill help to fertilise Southern Ocean with iron A new discovery reveals that the shrimp-like creature at the heart of the Antarctic food chain could play a key role …
27 June, 2011
Warm ocean speeds melting of Antarctic glacier New results from an investigation into a large glacier in Antarctica and its impact on global sea level rise are published this week …
13 June, 2011
New discovery – Copepods share “diver’s weight belt” technique with whales A deep-sea mystery has been solved with the discovery that the tiny 3 mm long marine animals, eaten by …
24 May, 2011
Study reveals most biologically rich island in Southern Ocean The first comprehensive study of sea creatures around the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia reveals a region that is richer in …
29 March, 2011
Major EU-funded space weather initiative launched and managed in UK A major EU-funded initiative to improve ‘space weather’ forecasting will hold its inaugural meeting in the UK on Tuesday 29 …
3 March, 2011
Ice structures found among hidden Antarctic mountains The discovery of numerous large ice structures within Antarctica’s Dome A region, the site of the buried ‘ghost mountains’, reveals new understanding about …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: New discovery from “ghost mountains”
22 February, 2011
Captain Scott’s century-old collections suggest marine life is capturing more carbon Tiny Antarctic marine creatures collected 100 years ago by Antarctic explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott give new clues about …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Growing evidence of carbon impact
20 October, 2010
New space research settles years of scientific debate New space research published this week (Thursday 21 October) in the journal Nature, has settled decades of scientific debate. Researchers from the …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: New research sheds light on Aurora
4 October, 2010
Event: A Decade of Discovery: Census of Marine Life — News Conference Venue: Royal Institution, London Date: Monday 4 October: 12.30 – 16.30 Findings from a major international investigation into …
31 August, 2010
Marine animals suggest evidence for a trans-Antarctic seaway A tiny marine filter-feeder, that anchors itself to the sea bed, offers new clues to scientists studying the stability of the West …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: How marine animals crossed continent
2 August, 2010
Greenland Ice Core Team Reaches Bedrock Bedrock has been reached Tuesday July 27 2010 at the deep ice core drilling site North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) on the Greenland …
20 June, 2010
New research sheds light on Antarctica”s melting Pine Island Glacier New results from an investigation into Antarctica’s potential contribution to sea level rise are reported this week (Sunday 20 June) …
4 June, 2010
Drilling into the unknown – the first exploration of a sub-glacial Antarctic lake is a major step closer Scientists have located the ideal drill site for the first ever exploration …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Submerged lake drill site chosen
5 May, 2010
25th Anniversary of the Discovery of Ozone Hole This week British Antarctic Survey (BAS) commemorates the 25th anniversary of one of its most dramatic scientific discoveries — the ozone hole. …
18 February, 2010
Understanding global climate change through new breakthroughs in Polar research The latest findings from research on Antarctica’s rich marine life are presented this week at the American Association for the …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Diversity of marine species detailed
12 January, 2010
Arctic terns confirmed to have the longest animal migration in the world New information on bird migration is revealed by an international team of scientists who have confirmed that the …
11 January, 2010
New research sheds light on Earth”s coldest temperatures Results from the first detailed analysis of the lowest ever temperature recorded on the Earth’s surface can explain why it got so …
8 December, 2009
British Antarctic Survey achieves registration for the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has achieved registration for the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO). Following …
18 November, 2009
Mysteriously warm times in Antarctica A new study of Antarctica’s past climate reveals that temperatures during the warm periods between ice ages (interglacials) may have been higher than previously thought. …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Warmer spells detected in ice cores
17 November, 2009
Fossil fuel CO2 emissions up by 29 per cent since 2000 The strongest evidence yet that the rise in atmospheric CO2 emissions continues to outstrip the ability of the world’s …
9 November, 2009
Antarctica glacier retreat creates new carbon dioxide store Large blooms of tiny marine plants called phytoplankton are flourishing in areas of open water left exposed by the recent and rapid …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Carbon sinks created by glacier retreat
7 October, 2009
Albatross camera reveals fascinating feeding interaction with killer whale Scientists from British Antarctic Survey, National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), Tokyo, and Hokkaido University, Japan, have recorded the first observations …
23 September, 2009
Lasers from space show thinning of Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets The most comprehensive picture of the rapidly thinning glaciers along the coastline of both the Antarctic and Greenland ice …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Ice thinning captured by satellites
20 July, 2009
New research provides insight into ice sheet behaviour A new study published this week takes scientists a step further in their quest to understand how Antarctica’s vast glaciers will contribute …
5 May, 2009
New Antarctic seabed sonar images reveal clues to sea-level rise Motorway-sized troughs and channels carved into Antarctica’s continental shelves by glaciers thousands of years ago could help scientists to predict …
21 April, 2009
Increasing Antarctic sea ice extent linked to the ozone hole Increased growth in Antarctic sea ice during the past 30 years is a result of changing weather patterns caused by …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Ozone hole link to sea ice extent
17 March, 2009
Robot submarine searches for signs of melting under Antarctic Ice Shelf A team of British and American scientists has successfully deployed an autonomous robot submarine on six missions beneath an …
12 February, 2009
Antarctic jobs offer opportunity of a lifetime Trades people looking for a career with a difference should check the national press this week. British Antarctic Survey (BAS) launches a recruitment …
1 December, 2008
First comprehensive inventory of life in Antarctica The first comprehensive “inventory” of sea and land animals around a group of Antarctic islands reveals a region that is rich in biodiversity …
22 October, 2008
New visualisation of South Georgia A new visualisation tool for exploring the subantarctic islands of South Georgia is unveiled today (22 October 2008). The South Georgia Geographic Information System (SGGIS) …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Interactive map highlights diversity
13 October, 2008
Challenge to discover Antarctica”s hidden world Later this month teams of scientists, engineers, pilots and support staff from British Antarctic Survey (BAS), USA, Germany, Australia, China and Japan will join …
Read more on PRESS RELEASE: Mission to buried mountain range
26 September, 2008
CO2 emissions are booming Scientists will this week (Friday 26 Sept) announce the annual update on the global carbon figures. They report that CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels and …
17 July, 2008
Antarctic worms, sea spiders, urchins and other marine creatures living in near-shore shallow habitats are regularly pounded by icebergs. New data suggests this environment along the Antarctic Peninsula is going …
19 May, 2008
Millions of Google Earth users around the world will be able to see how climate change could affect the planet and its people over the next century, along with viewing …
Read more on New vision of climate change through Google Earth
19 May, 2008
Event – climate change, business and policy Date: 27 May 2008 Venue: British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge **In the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales** Scientists, business leaders and politicians …
7 May, 2008
An opportunity to take a leading role in shaping the strategic direction of British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is announced this week (7 May). Two business leaders will join the BAS …
Read more on Antarctic leadership challenge – opportunity announced
18 March, 2008
Scientists at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) in collaboration with the Technical University of Braunschweig (TUBS), Germany have completed the first ever series of flights by autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) …
Read more on Unmanned aerial vehicles mark robotic first for British Antarctic Survey
12 March, 2008
Ice core scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are joint winners of a major European science prize. The European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) – which retrieved two …
Read more on Prestigious science prize awarded for 800,000 year old ice core
9 March, 2008
Radio waves accelerate electrons within Jupiter’s magnetic field in the same way as they do on Earth, according to new research published in Nature Physics this week. The discovery overturns a …
Read more on New discovery at Jupiter could help protect Earth-orbit satellites
5 March, 2008
Scientists have discovered an Antarctic fish species that adopts a winter survival strategy similar to hibernation. Reporting this week in the journal PLoS ONE, the online journal from the Public …
Read more on Hibernation-like behaviour in Antarctic fish – on ice for winter
28 February, 2008
Boulders the size of footballs could help scientists predict the West Antarctic Ice Sheet’s (WAIS) contribution to sea-level rise according to new research published this week in the journal Geology. …
Read more on Rock studies help crack questions of glacier thinning in West Antarctica
25 February, 2008
Scientists have discovered Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) living and feeding down to depths of 3000 metres in the waters around the Antarctic Peninsula. Until now this shrimp-like crustacean was thought …
31 January, 2008
More evidence of changing weather patterns around the Antarctic Peninsula – a region where climate has changed rapidly over the last 50 years – is published this month in Geophysical …
Read more on New ice core shows more evidence of Antarctic Peninsula change
20 January, 2008
The first evidence of a volcanic eruption from beneath Antarctica’s most rapidly changing ice sheet is reported this week in the journal Nature Geosciences. The volcano on the West …
Read more on First evidence of under-ice volcanic eruption in Antarctica
15 January, 2008
A four-man science team led by British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Dr Andy Smith has begun exploring an ancient lake hidden deep beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet. The lake – the size …
Read more on Exploration of lake hidden beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet begins
19 December, 2007
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) 2007/08 field season is underway. The start of the season is marked by the arrival of dozens of scientists – together with tonnes of equipment …
Read more on Hot topics, cool science: new Antarctic field season underway
27 November, 2007
A team of researchers from NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and British Antarctic Survey (BAS) unveiled today (27 Nov 07) the most geographically accurate, …
24 October, 2007
An international team of scientists has overturned an ecological study on how some animals search for food. Previously it was believed that wandering albatrosses and other species forage using a …
22 October, 2007
A team of scientists has found that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) growth has increased 35 percent faster than expected since 2000. The findings are published this week in the journal …
27 September, 2007
Springtails, mites, worms and plant life could help solve the mystery of Antarctica’s glacial history according to new research published in the journal Science this week. Scientists from British Antarctic …
Read more on Antarctic plants and animal life survived ice ages
8 August, 2007
New technology has allowed an international team including UK scientists from University of St Andrews and British Antarctic Survey to witness for the first time the behaviour of the …
7 August, 2007
International meeting on Complexity Science ‘Natural Complexity: Data and Theory in Dialogue’ Over 60 leading scientists from around the world will meet in Cambridge (UK) next week to discuss how …
31 July, 2007
LARGE quantities of ozone-depleting chemicals have been discovered in the Antarctic atmosphere by researchers from the University of Leeds, the University of East Anglia, and the British Antarctic Survey. The …
23 July, 2007
A limpet no bigger than a coin could reveal the possible fate of cold-blooded Antarctic marine animals according to new research published this week in The Journal of Experimental …
Read more on Limpets reveal possible fate of cold-blooded Antarctic animals
12 June, 2007
What must surely be the coolest gig in this summer’s Live Earth concerts takes place at the British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Rothera Research Station. On 7 July the science team’s …
Read more on Antarctica – the coolest Live Earth gig in the world
5 June, 2007
Hundreds of glaciers on the Antarctic Peninsula are flowing faster, further adding to sea level rise according to new research published this week in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Climate …
Read more on Hundreds of Antarctic Peninsula glaciers accelerating as climate warms
25 May, 2007
Ice Station Antarctica at the Natural History Museum challenges kids to understand the importance of the frozen continent Antarctica is a continent 58 times the size of the and it …
Read more on Ice Station Antarctica opens at Natural History Museum
17 May, 2007
The first evidence that recent climate change has weakened one of the Earth’s natural carbon ‘sinks’ is published this week in the journal Science. Tuesday 15 May 2007 PR No. …
Read more on Climate change affects Southern Ocean carbon sink
16 May, 2007
Monday 14 May 2007 image gallery Scientists have found hundreds of new marine creatures in the vast, dark deep-sea surrounding Antarctica. Carnivorous sponges, free-swimming worms, crustaceans, and molluscs living in …
Read more on Scientists discover new life in the Antarctic deep sea
11 March, 2007
Issued on behalf of the UK International Polar Year National Committee ****Operational Note: Press Conference at 09.30 Mon 26 Feb, at the Royal Society, London Opportunities to interview leading International …
Read more on UK Launch of International Polar Year 2007–2008
23 February, 2007
On the eve of International Polar Year, Science and Innovation Minister Malcolm Wicks will visit British Antarctic Survey’s Rothera Research Station this week (20-25 February). International Polar Year, which will …
Read more on Seeing The Science Of Climate Change In Action – Wicks Visits Antarctica
2 February, 2007
2 February 2007 PR No. 3/2007 British Antarctic Survey (BAS) welcomes the carefully considered and rigorous set of statements in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: The Physical Science Basis …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey response to IPCC report
23 January, 2007
Scientists have discovered a warehouse-sized drumlin – a mound of sediment and rock – actively forming and growing under the ice sheet in Antarctica. Its discovery, and the rate at …
23 December, 2006
20 December 2006 New research into the way the Antarctic ice sheet adds ice to the ocean reveals that tidal motion influences the flow of the one of the biggest …
16 October, 2006
16 October 2006 PR No. 16/2006 Scientists are getting their first glimpse into the inner secrets of an ice shelf, thanks to the innovative application of a new radar technique …
Read more on Radar opens new window into the ice for Antarctic scientists
16 October, 2006
16 October 2006 PR No. 17/2006 The first direct evidence linking human activity to the collapse of Antarctic ice shelves is published this week in the Journal of Climate. Scientists …
Read more on First direct evidence that human activity is linked to Antarctic Ice Shelf Collapse
26 September, 2006
26 September 2006 PR No. 14/2006 A team of British and US scientists have discovered that the gap in the Van Allen radiation belts is formed by natural wave turbulence …
Read more on Mind the gap: space scientists uncover causes of gap in Van Allen belts
19 September, 2006
18 September 2006 PR No. 15 /2006 Delegates at this week’s Liberal Democrat Conference have the opportunity to hear that climate change is real, serious and happening now. Speaking at …
Read more on Climate Change and Polar ice – the Quickening Pace
4 September, 2006
‘The Antarctic Canary – the human impact on climate change’ 09:00 – 11:00. Lecture Theatre 2, Lecture Theatre Building, UEA As the UK attempts to move towards a low carbon …
14 August, 2006
A proposed US system to protect satellites from solar storms or high-altitude nuclear detonations could cause side-effects that lead to radio communication blackouts, according to new research. If activated, the …
Read more on US satellite protection scheme could affect global communications
30 June, 2006
28 June 2006 Important new measures to protect Antarctica – the world’s last great wilderness – from invasive non-native species have been agreed at a meeting of Antarctic experts in …
Read more on Antarctic Treaty meeting moves to protect frozen continent from non-native species