Marine geophysicist working at British Antarctic Survey since 1987. Main research focus since 2004 has been on late Quaternary ice sheet history, glacial geomorphology and glacial/glacial-marine processes. Also has continuing interest in tectonic and palaeoenvironmental history of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean through the Cenozoic era. Technical specialisms include acquisition, processing and interpretation of seismic reflection, marine magnetic, swath bathymetry and sidescan sonar data. Scope of theoretical knowledge and coding experience includes forward and inverse seismic modelling and tectonic plate fitting/rotation calculations.
Employment
2023- Interim Science Leader, Palaeoenvironment, Ice Sheets and Climate Change (PICC)
2022- UK Science Lead in Science Coordination Office of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC)
2015- Deputy Science Leader, Palaeoenvironments, Ice sheets and Climate Change (PICC)
2009-2015 Workpackage Manager, Palaeo-Ice Sheets, a component of the British Antarctic Survey’s Ice Sheets programme.
2005-2009 Project Leader, Quaternary West Antarctic Deglaciations (QWAD), a component project of the British Antarctic Survey’s Glacial Retreat in Antarctica and Deglaciation of the Earth System (GRADES) programme
1995-2002 Project Leader, Oceanic Active Plate Margins, which included the Sandwich Lithospheric and Crustal Experiment (SLICE) and was a component project of the British Antarctic Survey’s Active Plate Margins programme
1995-2000 Programme Manager, Active Plate Margins Programme
1992-1995 Project Leader, Antarctic Peninsula Cenozoic Subduction
1987-present Marine Geophysicist, British Antarctic Survey (Cambridge)
1983-1987 Research Associate, Antarctic Marine Group (University of Birmingham)
Degrees
1991 PhD Marine Geophysics, University of Birmingham
1984 MSc Petroleum Exploration Studies, University of Aberdeen
1982 BSc Geology, University of Durham
NERC and external appointments
• Member of Review Panel German Research Vessels (Gutachterpanel Forschungsschiffe) 2018-
• Member of Council of Geological Society of London 2016-2019
• Member of Steering Committee of SCAR Past Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics programme 2013-2018
• Member of Geological Society of London Working Group on Climate Change 2010-2013 and 2019-2020
• Technical Adviser (Science) to NERC New Polar Research Vessel Programme 2014-2020
• Member of NERC New Polar Research Vessel Associated Projects Working Group 2015-2017
Application of marine geology and geophysics to understanding the tectonic and palaeoenvironmental history of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, with main focus on Quaternary ice sheet history, glacial geomorphology and glacial/glacial-marine processes.
At present I am working mainly on geological and geophysical data from the southernmost Pacific Ocean, the Pacific margin of the Antarctic Peninsula and the Weddell Sea.
I have also carried out geophysical investigations in the Scotia Sea. I have participated in 22 Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research cruises and been Chief Scientist on eight cruises of RRS James Clark Ross and one cruise of RV Nathaniel B Palmer..
Recent research cruises
RV Nathaniel B Palmer NBP20-02, January-March 2020. UK PI for Thwaites Offshore Research Project (THOR) leading marine geophysics work. Second research cruise of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC), involving work for two ITGC projects, of which THOR was the one to which most time was allocated. The cruise also involved work for two other NSF-funded physical oceanography projects and recovery and redeployment of oceanographic moorings.
RV Nathaniel B Palmer NBP19-02, January-March 2019. Chief Scientist and PI for Thwaites Offshore Research Project (THOR). First research cruise of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC), involving work for three ITGC projects, of which THOR was one, and recovery and redeployment of oceanographic moorings. THOR participants from BAS, University of Houston, University of Alabama, University of South Florida and Rice University. Other cruise participants from University of East Anglia, University of St Andrews, University of Gothenburg and University of Maine. Cruise report from Rolling Deck to Repository
RRS Discovery DY087, January-March 2018. Co-I leading marine geophysics work. NERC UK-IODP Programme Site Survey Investigation cruise to underpin development of a full IODP proposal for drilling on Maurice Ewing bank and Northeast Georgia Rise aimed at improving knowledge of South Atlantic Paleogene palaeoceanography. Collaboration between University of Southampton and BAS.
RV Polarstern PS104, January-March 2017. UK PI on German-UK collaborative project to conduct sea-floor drilling in the Amundsen Sea Embayment to investigate history of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Project involves Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, MARUM, University of Bremen, BAS, Imperial College London and University of Southampton, with UK funding contributions from BAS and UK IODP. Cruise report from Alfred Wegener Institute EPIC database
RRS James Clark Ross Cruise JR298, January-March 2015. Chief Scientist. NERC UK-IODP Programme Site Survey Investigation cruise in support of International Ocean Discovery Program proposal 732-Full2 “Sediment drifts off the Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica”. Project involves Co-Investigators at University of Cambridge and University of Exeter, and Project Partners at University of Florida, Royal Holloway University of London, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (Bremerhaven, Germany) and Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (Trieste, Italy). Further collaborations with research groups at University of Cambridge and University of Durham are funded by the NERC Collaborative Gearing Scheme, and a further collaboration with a researcher at University of Florida is funded by an Antarctic Science Bursary. Cruise summary report from BODC
Cruise blog by Carys Cook, University of Florida
RRS James Clark Ross Cruise JR284, January 2014. Chief Scientist. BAS IceSheets Programme short cruise with aim of “Improving constraints on the deglacial history of the Antarctic Peninsula”. Involved collaborators from National Oceanography Centre (Southampton), Scott Polar Research Institute (Cambridge) and Alfred Wegener Institite for Polar and Marine Research (Bremerhaven, Germany). Cruise summary report from BODC
RRS James Clark Ross Cruise JR244, January-March 2011. Chief Scientist. BAS IceSheets Programme and Chemistry and Past Climate Programme cruise to investigate the late Quaternary glacial and palaeoceanographic history of the southern Weddell Sea. Cruise summary and final cruise report from BODC
Publications information from the NERC Open Research Archive (NORA)
Barker, P., Livermore, R., Tomlinson, J., Woollett, R., Cunningham, A., Larter, R., Pudsey, C., & Jordan, R. (2025). Geological Long Range Inclined Asdic (GLORIA) seabed side-scan sonar raw data acquired on Charles Darwin CD37 cruise in 1989 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/cf87183c-51df-4588-be73-ad0a45fea2d7
Lowe, M., Jordan, T., Ebbing, J., Koglin, N., Ruppel, A., Moorkamp, M., Green, C., Laufer, A., Liebsch, J., Ginga, M., & Larter, R. (2024). Density and susceptibility catalogue of 320 rock samples from northern Victoria Land, East Antarctica (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/9ac70954-80aa-45af-b70f-e4e45efa8293
Lowe, M., Jordan, T., Ebbing, J., Koglin, N., Ruppel, A., Moorkamp, M., Green, C., Laufer, A., Liebsch, J., Ginga, M., & Larter, R. (2024). 3D susceptibility distribution model derived from 2010 BGR magnetic survey of the Mesa Range in northern Victoria Land, East Antarctica (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/ff3798b8-146f-42c2-870e-64c738970350
Lowe, M., Jordan, T., Moorkamp, M., Ebbing, J., Green, C., Losing, M., & Larter, R. (2023). 3D density and susceptibility distribution of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin and Transantarctic Mountains in East Antarctica. (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/5e1424e7-124d-4cc3-ba06-b2285c0b458c
Lowe, M., Mather, B., Green, C., Jordan, T., Ebbing, J., & Larter, R. (2022). Curie depth points and Geothermal heat flow estimates from spectral analysis of magnetic data in the Transantarctic Mountains and Wilkes Subglacial Basin region. (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/b8dcbaa9-3ac0-42bd-95a5-6b5961cbcb7e
Larter, R., Hogan, K., Hillenbrand, C., & Gowland, E. (2021). Topographic Parametric Sonar (TOPAS) acoustic sub-bottom profiler data acquired on RRS James Clark Ross JR298 cruise in 2015 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/bdfeb69c-df5c-461d-b7a8-583f9daab685
Dowdeswell, J., Larter, R., Noormets, R., Griffiths, G., & Hogan, K. (2021). Isis remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) bathymetry data in Marguerite Trough, Antarctica, from James Clark Ross cruise JR157, 2007 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/ef1996e4-7825-4456-b1f7-4d1b26531d72
Jordan, T., Porter, D., Tinto, K., Millan, R., Muto, A., Hogan, K., Larter, R., Graham, A., Paden, J., & Robinson, C. (2020). Gravity-derived bathymetry for the Thwaites, Crosson and Dotson ice shelves (2009-2019) (Version 1.0) [Data set]. UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.5285/7803de8b-8a74-466b-888e-e8c737bf21ce
Hogan, K., Larter, R., Graham, A., Nitsche, F., Kirkham, J., Totten Minzoni, R., Clark, R., Fitzgerald, V., Anderson, J., Hillenbrand, C., Simkins, L., Smith, J., Gohl, K., Arndt, J., Hong, J., Heywood, K., Abrahamsen, E., Thompson, A., Dunbar, R., & Wellner, J. (2020). A multibeam-bathymetric compilation for the southern Amundsen Sea shelf, 1999-2019 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.5285/f2dfeda9-bf44-4ef5-89a3-ee5e434a385c
Larter, R., Hogan, K., Hillenbrand, C., Smith, J., Batchelor, C., Cartigny, M., Tate, A., Kirkham, J., Roseby, Z., Kuhn, G., Graham, A., & Dowdeswell, J. (2019). A bathymetric compilation over Anvers-Hugo Trough, Perrier Trough and Palmer Deep, 1990-2017 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.5285/70905d9c-6dc0-421b-b20b-1e2dff97e802
Fretwell, P., Hodgson, D., Hogan, K., Smith, J., Hillenbrand, C., Allen, C., Peck, V., Arndt, J., Dorschel, B., Hubscher, C., Smith, A., Larter, R., & Graham, A. (2019). A bathymetric compilation of the Brunt Sub-Iceshelf, Antarctica (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://data.bas.ac.uk/full-record.php?id=GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/01134
British Antarctic Survey (2015). Raw acoustic data collected by ship-borne EK60 echo sounder in Southern Ocean (Feb – Apr 2008) (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/69645711-2472-49d5-9836-7398cc7a5ec1
Fretwell, P. (2015). A bathymetric and topographic compilation of the South Sandwich Island Volcanic Arc (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/b8143952-421c-4544-8437-58f339253d30
WAMSISE examined the record of ice sheet evolution on West Antarctic continental margins from middle Miocene to present, clarify the factors controlling the major sedimentary changes, and consider their global implications.
THOR examined sedimentary record both offshore from the glacier and beneath the ice shelf, together with glacial landforms on the sea bed, to reconstruct past changes in ocean conditions and the glaciers response to these changes.
The International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration unites global scientists to study Antarctica’s most vulnerable glacier, predict sea-level rise, and inform climate action worldwide.
This project will tackle the the question of how strongly changes in ocean circulation affect global climate.
Swath bathymetry Most ice is lost from Antarctica through ice streams. To better predict the future of the Antarctic ice sheet it is important that we improve our understanding of […]
During this project essential survey data was collected to help plan future deep ocean drilling expeditions.
An international research team deployed the uncrewed submersible ‘Ran’ underneath 350 m thick ice. They got back the very first detailed maps covering extensive areas of the underside of a glacier, revealing clues to future sea level rise.
Scientists have discovered a landscape of rocky hills and smooth plains beneath the remote Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica.
Thirty seven scientists and over 24 support staff are arriving in Antarctica to work on Thwaites Glacier.
Nearly 60 scientists and support staff are on their way to Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. It’s part of an ambitious international effort to understand the glacier and surrounding ocean […]
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 […]
New high resolution images of the the seafloor in West Antarctica show past retreat of Thwaites Glacier. They reveal that at times in its past, retreat of the massive Thwaites […]
A new map of the seafloor of the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica provides the most accurate representation of this vast area to date. An international team of scientists, including several […]
For the first time, researchers have collected data from underneath the remote Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica using an underwater robot.
An international team of researchers has provided a new and unprecedented perspective on the climate history of Antarctica. From a sediment core collected from the seafloor in West Antarctica, they […]
Scientists will use two species of seals to investigate a huge glacier in West Antarctica that is at risk of collapse. A team of over 20 polar scientists from the […]
Expert comment on IPCC Special Report
Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica is one of the fastest-flowing glaciers in Antarctica. Over the last eleven years, four major icebergs have broken off from its floating ice shelf. […]
An animation of the giant iceberg that calved off the Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica just over two months ago shows an unexpected break up. Satellite images revealed a […]
Thousands of marks on the Antarctic seafloor, caused by icebergs which broke free from glaciers more than ten thousand years ago, show how part of the Antarctic Ice Sheet retreated […]
Latest satellite images reveal a new 100-square-mile iceberg emerging from Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier. The calving event did not come as a complete surprise, but is a troubling sign with […]
Reporting this week (Wednesday 5 July) in the journal Nature, an international team of researchers led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS) explains that wind-driven incursions of warm water forced the […]
Technology and equipment for biological and geophysical studies
Exploring the seafloor
Our state-of-the-art polar science ship provides scientists access to remote and challenging marine environments across the Antarctic and Arctic.
A multibeam system sends out an array of sound pulses in a fan shape and returns depths from underneath the ship and from either side as well.
Previous rapid thinning of Pine Island Glacier sheds light on future Antarctic ice loss New research, published this week in Science, suggests that the largest single contributor to global sea […]
Series of large earthquakes in Scotia Sea close to South Orkney Islands A series of earthquakes has been detected in the Scotia Sea region close to the British Antarctic Survey’s […]
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 […]
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, […]
Communities of species previously unknown to science have been discovered on the seafloor near Antarctica, clustered in the hot, dark environment surrounding hydrothermal vents. The discoveries, made by teams led […]
The Polar Medal was awarded to three members of staff in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List. Congratulations go to Geophysicist Rob Larter, Chief Pilot Alan Meredith and former Personnel […]