Percussive Rapid Access Isotope Drill
The ice sheets of Antarctica can be several kilometres thick, and contain precious information about the past climate. However, the bottoms of the ice sheets are melting, erasing this information. …
The scientific evidence that the world’s climate is changing is extensive and clear. Understanding the role of the Polar Regions in climate change is not only a huge scientific challenge but also an urgent priority for society.
The Antarctic is a pivotal part of the Earth’s climate system and a sensitive barometer of environmental change. Although remote and inhospitable, Antarctica is Earth’s most powerful natural laboratory. Understanding how the Antarctic is responding to current climate change – and what the continent was like in the past – is essential if scientists are to be able to more accurately predict future climate change and provide accurate information to politicians and policy makers.
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has for the past 60 years been responsible for most of the UK’s scientific research in Antarctica and its current five-year research strategy is focussed on deepening our understanding of climate change.
Antarctic ice cores reveal the clearest link between levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the Earth’s temperature. They show that the temperature of the climate and the levels of greenhouse gases are intimately linked. In 2004, ice core scientists at BAS working together with colleagues from other European nations successfully extracted a three-kilometre ice core from the Antarctic. This core contains a record of the Earth’s climate stretching back 800,000 years – giving us by far the oldest continuous climate record yet obtained from ice cores.
BAS geologists can look back even further in time. By studying Antarctic rocks and sediments from the sea and lake beds, they are able to get a picture of what the Antarctic was like millions of years ago when the continent was warm and supported plants and animals such as dinosaurs. Understanding how the ice sheets that currently cover the continent developed and how they have receded in the past is essential if we are to be able to predict how those ice sheets will behave in a warmer world.
Much of BAS science is done on the Antarctic Peninsula – one of the fastest warming parts of the planet. BAS glaciologists are also studying the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, parts of which are thinning rapidly. Their work is crucial to understanding whether this thinning could signal the start of the ice sheet’s collapse, an event that would cause sea levels to rise much more than currently predicted.
On sea as well as on land, BAS scientists are investigating climate change. As the waters warm around Antarctica, ecologists at BAS are looking at how penguins, seals and the other species that make up one of the world’s largest marine ecosystems are responding.
Because the causes and effects of climate change are extraordinarily complex, assembling all the pieces of the climate change jigsaw is a huge challenge. By conducting world-class science in the Antarctic, BAS is making a significant contribution to meeting this challenge.
Stability and Instability – Records of External Drivers and Resulting Behaviour of Thwaites Glacier
THOR is a ship-based and ice-based project that will examine sedimentary record both offshore from the glacier and beneath the ice shelf, together with glacial landforms on the sea bed, …
Geological History Constraints on the Magnitude of Grounding Line Retreat in the Thwaites Glacier System
GHC (“Geological History Constraints”) will gather information about past ice sheet behaviour and relative sea level change in the Thwaites Glacier system. Determining the timing and magniture of past episodes …
Larsen-C Benthos
On 12 July 2017, the Larsen-C Ice Shelf calved one of the largest iceberg originating from the Antarctic Peninsula ever recorded. As iceberg A68 moves north, it leaves behind an …
Retreat of Southern Hemisphere Sea Ice, 127 000 years BP
Sea ice is the cause of the largest uncertainties in climate model projections of polar change in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). During the Last Interglacial (LIG), between 130 000 and …
Southern Ocean Carbon
The Southern Ocean is one of the most important and poorly understood components of the global carbon cycle that profoundly shapes Earth’s climate. It is the primary hot spot for …
National Capability for Global Challenges
Polar Expertise – Supporting Development
SubICE – Sub-Antarctic Ice Coring Expedition
The Sub-Antarctic – ice coring expedition (SubICE), part of the international Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (ACE), successfully drilled several shallow ice cores, from five of the remote and globally significant sub-Antarctic …
Methane Observations and Yearly Assessments
Methane is one of the most important greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and changes in its concentration could have major influences on the Earth’s climate. Measurements made around the world …
Beyond Epica
A decade ago, the European EPICA project completed drilling a deep ice core at Dome C, revealing the close link between climate and atmospheric greenhouse gases over the past 800,000 …
Meteorology and Ozone Monitoring
Long-term meteorological and ozone observations and data help determine the causes of climate change in the polar regions. Meteorology Meteorological observations are made regularly throughout the day at Halley and …
Dynamics of the Orkney Passage Outflow (DynOPO)
Dynamics of the Orkney Passage Outflow (DynOPO) is a collaboration between BAS, the University of Southampton and the National Oceanography Centre (NOC). The project aims to investigate the flow of …
Weddell Sea ice sheet and climate
In the south of the Weddell Sea lies the Ronne and Filchner Ice Shelves. During the coldest part of the last glacial period about 25,000 years ago, the ice in …
The role of Antarctic sea-ice in global climate
Sea-ice is frequently cited as a likely driver and propagator of abrupt climate change because of the rapid and far-reaching impact of its feedbacks. However, numerical climate models are still …
The role of the Southern Ocean in regulating atmospheric CO2 on glacial-interglacial timescales
The cause of the variability in atmospheric CO2 over glacial-interglacial timescales has been a puzzle since its discovery in the early 1980s. It is widely believed to be related to …
BEAMISH: Bed Access, Monitoring and Ice Sheet History
The polar ice sheets play a major role in controlling Earth’s sea level and climate, but our understanding of their history and motion is poor. It results that the biggest …
Climate and Ice during the Last Interglacial
During the Last Interglacial (129-116 thousand years ago, ka) CO2 and global temperature were both higher than they were before human industrialisation. By examining Last Interglacial climate, we thus gain …
Antarctic Climate over the last millennia
The Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica have warmed dramatically in recent decades, with some climate records indicating that these are among the most rapidly warming regions on Earth. The Antarctic …
Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Sea-Surface
In order to assess the impact of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) on the oceans today we are investigating the effect of decreasing upper ocean pH on calcifying zooplankton. Pteropods, …
West Antarctica wind strength and atmospheric circulation
Changes in wind strength and circulation patterns above the Antarctic Peninsula are linked to its warming and increased upwelling of warm circumpolar deep water, resulting in accelerated melting and thinning …
Late Quaternary changes in the Westerly Winds over the Southern Ocean
In this NERC-funded project, we are generating Southern Hemisphere Westerlies (SHW) proxy records from each of the three major sectors of the Southern Ocean, focusing on subantarctic islands situated in …
Arctic marine geophysics
This research focuses on investigating the glacial histories of Arctic ice sheets and ice caps using the marine geological record preserved on continental margins. By reconstructing past ice sheets, their …
ANiSEED – AmuNdsen Sea Embayment Exposure Dating
This project will reconstruct millennial-scale ice sheet change in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment, Antarctica, using high-precision exposure dating.
Filchner Ice Shelf System, Antarctica
Understanding the contribution that polar ice sheets make to global sea-level rise is recognised internationally as urgent. The mission of this five-year project is to capture new observations and data …
ICE-ARC
physicists, chemists, biologists, economists, and sociologists from 21 institutes in 11 countries across Europe assess the rapid retreat and collapse of Arctic sea-ice cover
ISOL-ICE
PI: Markus M. Frey Co-I’s: X. Yang, R. Mulvaney NERC Grant: NE/N011813/1 The ozone layer shields all land-based life forms from harmful ultraviolet radiation; and indirectly influences the climate at …
iStar-D The contribution to sea-level rise from the Amundsen Sea sector of Antarctica
iStar-D will identify the potential contribution to sea-level rise, from ice locked in the Amundsen Sea sector of Antarctica
EU-PolarNet
A strategic framework to connect science and society
Revisiting the Relationship among Metrics of Tropical Expansion
1 September, 2018
Intense winter surface melt on an Antarctic ice shelf
1 August, 2018
Microplastics in the Southern Ocean
16 May, 2018
Choosing the future of Antarctica
1 January, 2018
Response to van der Meer
18 December, 2017
The Response of Ice Sheets to Climate Variability
1 December, 2017
Heat flux distribution of Antarctica unveiled
28 November, 2017
The spatial structure of the 128 ka Antarctic sea ice minimum
16 November, 2017
Regional climate of the Larsen B embayment 1980–2014
1 August, 2017
Solve Antarctica’s sea-ice puzzle
19 July, 2017
A stochastic dynamical model of Arctic sea ice
1 July, 2017
Warm waters in West Antarctica
16 June, 2017
Polar oceans in a changing climate
1 June, 2017
Antarctica and climate change
1 April, 2017
According to the IPCC fifth assessment report, it is extremely likely (95-100% confidence) that human activities have been the dominant driver of global climate change since the mid-20th century. Antarctica, …
The Ozone Hole
1 April, 2017
It’s over 30 years since the discovery of the Ozone Hole drew world attention to the impact of human activity on the global environment. Why is the ozone layer important? …
Sea ice at both poles
17 March, 2017
What’s new about sea-ice data? Record low monthly sea-ice extents were observed in the Arctic in January, February, April, May, June, October, and November 2016, and then further records were …
Sources, dispersal and impacts of wastewater in Antarctica
30 September, 2016
How warm was Greenland during the last interglacial period?
29 September, 2016
Impact of melt water on high latitude early Last Interglacial climate
29 September, 2016
Vulnerability of Southern Ocean biota to climate change
27 April, 2016
Interglacials of the last 800,000 years
1 March, 2016
Robert Mossman, Endurance and the Weddell Sea ice
1 January, 2016
Multiple causes of the Younger Dryas cold period
1 December, 2015
Feedbacks on climate in the Earth system: introduction
13 November, 2015
Antarctic sea ice losses drive gains in benthic carbon drawdown
21 September, 2015
The ocean sampling day consortium
1 June, 2015
Foehn jets over the Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica
1 April, 2015
Investigating Climate Change from the Stratosphere to Space
11 February, 2015
From ice to space
1 January, 2015
Boundary mixing in Orkney Passage outflow
1 December, 2014
Environment: Social change affects Antarctic priorities
24 September, 2014
Greenland deglaciation puzzles
5 September, 2014
Environmental setting
1 August, 2014
Bryozoa
1 August, 2014
Biogeographic Atlas of the Southern Ocean
1 August, 2014
Assessing status and change in Southern Ocean ecosystems
1 August, 2014
A fluid situation
1 May, 2014
Geothermal activity helps life survive glacial cycles
15 April, 2014
The thermal limits to life on Earth
1 April, 2014
How significant is West Antarctic warming?
28 March, 2014
Ice cores and climate change
1 March, 2014
Slices of ice core, drilled from the depths of the Earth’s ice sheets, reveal details of the planet’s past climate. Introduction Ice cores are cylinders of ice drilled out of …
Emperor penguins breeding on iceshelves
8 January, 2014
A horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2014
1 January, 2014
A 308-year record of climate variability in West Antarctica
28 October, 2013
A climatic history of West Antarctica
1 October, 2013
Entanglement of Antarctic fur seals at Bird Island, South Georgia
15 September, 2013
Mapping climate change in European temperature distributions
11 September, 2013
Polar fohn winds and warming over the Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica
1 September, 2013
East Antarctica’s Achilles heel
21 July, 2013
Ice sheets and nitrogen
5 July, 2013
Ice core methods, conductivity studies
19 June, 2013
Paleoclimate, Paleoclimate history of the Arctic
19 June, 2013
Uncertain sea levels (Letter)
15 June, 2013
Unlocking the secrets of Antarctic moss banks
1 June, 2013
Sharp rise in summer melt on Antarctic Peninsula
1 June, 2013
On estimating local climate sensitivity
28 May, 2013
Climate change and the polar regions
1 May, 2013
Antarctica: global science from a frozen continent
4 April, 2013
Communicating climate science
1 April, 2013
Editorial: Past4Future – learning from interglacials
1 March, 2013
The Antarctic Peninsula’s retreating ice shelves
1 January, 2012
The breakout in March 2008 of the Wilkins Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula is the latest drama in a region that has experienced unprecedented warming over the last 50 …
Signals of atmospheric pollution in polar snow and ice
1 September, 1990
Sea level rise
1 January, 1990
Analysis of Antarctic snow and ice
1 January, 1990
Increases in winds weaken Southern Ocean carbon sink
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 …
FEATURED PAPER: Sea-ice loss impacts Northern Hemisphere
20 June, 2018
This study, led by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey, suggests that sea-ice loss in different regions of the Arctic, and of different amounts, leads to different effects on surface …
Hay Festival short film highlights Antarctic climate science
29 May, 2018
Leading climate scientist and BAS oceanographer Dr Emily Shuckburgh worked with award-winning author and illustrator Chris Haughton to create the short film Message from Antarctica. This is part of the …
European wind energy generation potential in a 1.5˚C world
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 …
Most detailed study of global climate variability around the world
8 February, 2018
The most comprehensive study of the variability of temperature globally is published this week in the journal Nature. It reveals the degree to which temperature fluctuations reduced from the last …
Scientists gather in Davos to highlight Arctic climate change
23 January, 2018
A team of leading Arctic scientists – including British Antarctic Survey glaciologist Dr Jeremy Wilkinson – are gathering in Davos this week at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting (23-24 …
New map reveals landscape beneath Greenland’s ice sheet
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 …
Tiny ice losses at Antarctica’s fringes can accelerate ice loss far away
11 December, 2017
A thinning of small areas of floating ice at Antarctica’s coast can accelerate the movement of ice grounded on rocks hundreds of kilometres away, a new study involving scientists from …
Giant West Antarctic iceberg disintegrates
29 November, 2017
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 …
Albatrosses in decline from fishing and environmental change
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 …
Study sheds new light on krill larvae survival
14 November, 2017
An international study involving British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists has shed light on how the larvae of Antarctic krill – small shrimp-like crustaceans – use sea ice to ensure their …
FEATURED PAPER: Temperature change in Sichuan
13 November, 2017
The Sichuan basin is one of the most densely populated regions of China. Along with insufficient arable land and economic underdevelopments, this region is particularly vulnerable to climate-related stresses. Improving …
New Antarctic heat map reveals sub-ice hotspots
13 November, 2017
An international team of scientists, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), has produced a new map showing how much heat from the Earth’s interior is reaching the base of the …
BAS scientists at 2017 COP23 climate event in Bonn
8 November, 2017
This week (10-11 November) leading scientists and experts from EU-funded research programmes engage with political leaders from the Pacific Ocean and the Arctic to examine the economic and social consequences …
New study calls for unified research to understand changing ecosystems
2 October, 2017
A new multidisciplinary study led by scientists at British Antarctic Study (BAS) stresses the need for an integrated approach to understand the effects of climate change on Antarctic marine ecosystems. …
Large iceberg breaks off Pine Island Glacier
27 September, 2017
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 …
Arctic sea ice at minimum extent for 2017
25 September, 2017
Arctic sea ice extent has likely reached its minimum extent for the year, at 4.64 million square kilometers (1.79 million square miles) on September 13, 2017, according to a team …
More losers than winners for Southern Ocean marine life
4 September, 2017
A new study of the marine invertebrates living in the seas around Antarctica reveals there will be more ‘losers’ than ‘winners’ over the next century as the Antarctic seafloor warms. …
Climate Scientist awarded Prestigious Mathematical prize
18 July, 2017
Last week (12th July) Dr Emily Shuckburgh travelled to Pittsburgh, USA, and received the prestigious 2017 I. E. Block Community Lecture prize from SIAM – the Society for Industrial and …
Huge Antarctic iceberg finally breaks free
12 July, 2017
After months of ‘hanging by a thread’ a vast iceberg the size of Norfolk has finally broken off Antarctica’s Larsen C Ice Shelf. Around 30 metres of this 190m thick …
Study shows ice sheet loss over the last 11,000 years
5 July, 2017
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 …
UK scientists to explore Changing Arctic Ocean
3 July, 2017
A new £10 million research programme to investigate how the Arctic Ocean is changing kicked off last week (Friday 30 June) with its first research expedition to the Barents Sea. …
Climate change may cause expansion to ice-free areas across Antarctica
29 June, 2017
Ice-free areas in Antarctica could expand by close to 25 per cent by 2100 and drastically change the biodiversity of the continent, research published this week in Nature has shown. …
Storms caused massive Antarctic sea ice loss in 2016
23 June, 2017
A series of unprecedented storms over the Southern Ocean likely caused the most dramatic decline in Antarctic sea ice seen to date, a new study finds. Antarctic sea ice – …
New insight into what weakens Antarctic ice shelves
25 April, 2017
New research describes for the first time the role that warm, dry winds play in influencing the behaviour of Antarctic ice shelves. Presenting this week at a European conference scientists …
Penguin colony repeatedly decimated by volcanic eruptions
11 April, 2017
One of Antarctica’s biggest gentoo penguin colonies was repeatedly decimated by eruptions of the Deception Island volcano in recent millennia.
Ice cap once covered sub-antarctic island of South Georgia
17 March, 2017
A new study reveals the sub-antarctic island of South Georgia – famous for its wildlife – was covered by a massive ice cap during the last ice age. The results …
Raising Horizons: Portraits of women in science
2 March, 2017
BAS Director features in photographic portraits of women in science
Signy Island is hottest place in the Antarctic
1 March, 2017
A World Meteorological Organization (WMO) committee of experts announces this week (Wed 1 March) new records for the highest temperatures recorded in the Antarctic Region. The results are part of …
New footage shows crack in Larsen C Ice Shelf
21 February, 2017
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) recently captured this video footage of a huge crack in the Larsen C Ice Shelf, on the Antarctic Peninsula. Currently a huge iceberg, roughly the size …
Antarctic sea ice extent lowest on record
16 February, 2017
This year the extent of summer sea ice in the Antarctic is the lowest on record. The Antarctic sea ice minimum marks the day – typically towards end of February …
Scientists gather for urgent meeting on Arctic change
18 January, 2017
Leading scientists gather at Davos today (18 January), with Al Gore and Christiana Figueres, for an urgent meeting on Arctic change. Growing concern prompts ‘Arctic Basecamp’ at World Economic Forum …
Polar oceanographer co-authors climate change Ladybird book with HRH Prince of Wales and Tony Juniper
15 January, 2017
British Antarctic Survey scientist Dr Emily Shuckburgh OBE has co-authored a book on climate change as part of the new Ladybird Expert series, it was announced today. Her co-authors are His …
ANTARCTIC BLOG: Working on the Polar Plateau
15 January, 2017
A new blog post from a team comprising polar atmosphere and ice chemist Holly Winton, analytical chemist Rebecca Tuckwell and atmospheric and glaciochemist Markus Frey who are working on the …
Arctic Basecamp will move to Davos
21 December, 2016
Science Summit will call on global leaders for immediate action on the Arctic A group of leading scientists have announced an Arctic Science Summit that will take place in Davos, …
Quest begins for oldest ice on Earth
14 November, 2016
First phase of project to collect 1.5 million years of climate data in Antarctica A team of European scientists heads to East Antarctica this month to locate the oldest ice …
FEATURED PAPER: Sea-ice reduction
18 October, 2016
A team of British climate scientists comparing today’s environment with the warm period before the last ice age has discovered a 65% reduction of Antarctic sea ice around 128,000 years …
New polar ship reaches first construction milestone
17 October, 2016
Keel-laying ceremony at Cammell Laird
Arctic sea ice heading towards second lowest on record
15 September, 2016
This year the extent of summer sea ice in the Arctic is heading towards being the second lowest on record. The Arctic sea ice minimum marks the day – typically …
New Antarctic ice discovery aids future climate predictions
16 August, 2016
A team of British climate scientists comparing today’s environment with the warm period before the last ice age has discovered a 65% reduction of Antarctic sea ice around 128,000 years …
Polar ice reveals secrets of carbon-climate feedbacks
26 July, 2016
An international team of scientists have used air bubbles in polar ice from pre-industrial times to measure the sensitivity of the Earth’s land biosphere to changes in temperature.
A recent pause in Antarctic Peninsula warming
20 July, 2016
The rapid warming of the Antarctic Peninsula, which occurred from the early-1950s to the late 1990s, has paused. Stabilisation of the ozone hole along with natural climate variability were significant in bringing about the change. Together these influences have now caused the northern part of the peninsula to enter a temporary cooling phase. Temperatures remain higher than measured during the middle of the 20th Century and glacial retreat is still taking place. However, scientists predict that if greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise at the current rate, temperatures will increase across the Antarctic Peninsula by several degrees Centigrade by the end of this century.
Ocean warming primary cause of glacier retreat
14 July, 2016
A new study has found for the first time that ocean warming is the primary cause of retreat of glaciers on the Antarctic Peninsula. The Peninsula is one of the largest current contributors to sea-level rise and this new finding will enable researchers to make better predictions of ice loss from this region.
Wind-blown Antarctic sea ice helps drive ocean circulation
27 June, 2016
Antarctic sea ice is constantly on the move as powerful winds blow it away from the coast and out toward the open ocean. A new study published today in the journal Nature Geoscience (Monday 27 June) shows how that ice migration may be more important for the global ocean circulation than anyone realized.
Carbon dioxide level breached at Halley VI
16 June, 2016
Levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere – which is the leading driver of recent climate change – have reached a milestone at British Antarctic Survey’s …
FEATURED PAPER: Circulation changes off West Antarctica
17 March, 2016
The Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) is a climatological low pressure system located over the southern Pacific Ocean, off the coast of West Antarctica. Atmospheric variability in this region is larger …
NEWS STORY: Consultation – polar research priorities for Europe
17 February, 2016
Take part in an online consultation about Europe’s research priorities for the Polar Regions
NEWS STORY: Lake drainage affected climate
17 February, 2016
The catastrophic release of fresh water from a vast South American lake at the end of the last Ice Age was significant enough to change circulation in the Pacific Ocean …
FEATURED PAPER: Improving climate predictions
19 November, 2015
The Earth’s climate was warmer than today by at least 1°C during the Last Interglacial (between 129,000 and 116,000 years ago). Thus, the Last Interglacial represents an invaluable case study …
PRESS RELEASE: West Antarctica snow accumulation
4 November, 2015
West Antarctic coastal snow accumulation rose 30 percent during 20th century Annual snow accumulation on West Antarctica’s coastal ice sheet increased dramatically during the 20th century, according to a new …
NEWS STORY: New polar ship bidder selected
12 October, 2015
Government announces preferred bidder to build new polar ship Minister of State for Universities and Science, Jo Johnson announced today that the preferred bidder to build a new polar research …
NEWS STORY: Arctic sea ice 2015
17 September, 2015
Arctic sea ice 2015 On September 11, the National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) reported that Arctic sea ice reached its likely minimum extent for 2015. The minimum ice …
NEWS STORY: NERC to invest £16m in Arctic Ocean change research
30 July, 2015
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has announced it will invest £16m in research to study the effects of dramatic changes in Arctic ice cover over the last three decades on …
NEWS STORY: Polar ice cores reveal volcanic eruptions
8 July, 2015
Polar ice cores reveal volcanic eruptions that changed human history Researchers find new evidence that large eruptions were responsible for cold temperature extremes recorded since early Roman times A freshly …
NEWS STORY: Frozen in to the Arctic winter
10 March, 2015
Extreme science in extreme conditions: frozen in to the Arctic winter Dr Markus Frey, a British Antarctic Survey (BAS) ice and atmospheric scientist, is living and working aboard the Norwegian …
NEWS STORY: Events in Cambridge and Manchester
6 February, 2015
‘Ice-Spy in the Antarctic’ Thursday 19 February 11.00 – 11:25 14:00 – 14:25 Cambridge Science Centre, Jesus Lane, Cambridge How do you track the ice that floats in the polar …
PRESS RELEASE: Mapping the ice from below
24 November, 2014
Underwater robot sheds new light on Antarctic sea ice The first detailed, high-resolution 3-D maps of Antarctic sea ice have been developed using an underwater robot. Scientists from the UK, …
NEWS STORY: Sea ice minimum explained
18 September, 2014
Arctic sea ice summer minimum 2014: A scientific perspective The Arctic sea ice minimum marks the day – typically in September – when sea ice reaches its smallest extent at …
NEWS STORY: Changes in winds in south
12 May, 2014
Ocean winds keep Australia dry and Antarctica cold New research explains why Antarctica is not warming as much as other continents, and why southern Australia is recording more droughts. Analysis …
NEWS STORY: Unlocking clues to past climate
1 May, 2014
Earth’s last warm phase exposed Analysis of data collected from ice cores and marine sediment cores in both polar regions has given scientists a clearer picture of how the Earth’s …
NEWS STORY: Arctic sea ice trends
13 February, 2014
British Antarctic Survey coordinates Arctic sea-ice investigation Arctic sea-ice cover is retreating at an unprecedented rate. Scientists fear we may see the complete loss of sea ice during the summer …
PRESS RELEASE: Antarctic emperor penguins
8 January, 2014
Antarctic emperor penguins may be adapting to warmer temperatures A new study of four Antarctic emperor penguin colonies suggest that unexpected breeding behaviour may be a sign that the birds …
PRESS RELEASE: Pine Island Glacier and climatic variability
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 …
NEWS STORY: World’s coldest place identified
12 December, 2013
Scientists working at the United States National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said this week they have identified the coldest place on Earth using satellite observations of surface temperature. …
NEWS STORY: Climate records from ice cores
5 December, 2013
New ice core record shows climate variability in West Antarctica A 308-year ice core record provides new data on climate variability in coastal West Antarctica and shows that a clear …
NEWS STORY: IPCC climate report published today
27 September, 2013
The Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is published today. The report entitled Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis, presents a synthesis of …
NEWS STORY: Storm events link identified
17 April, 2013
Jet stream influences extreme storms A new study of Europe’s extreme storm events reveals that they often occur near the jet stream – the fast flowing air currents that flow …
PRESS RELEASE: Summer melt season extending
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 …
NEWS STORY: Greenland ice shows past trends
23 January, 2013
Greenland ice core reveals warm past temperatures British Antarctic Survey scientists have contributed to a new study published in Nature (Thursday 24 January) that provides surprising details on changes in …
PRESS RELEASE: Changing winds increasing sea ice cover
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 …
PRESS RELEASE: Antarctica’s climate timeline
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 …
PRESS RELEASE: Air flows explain record low
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 …
PRESS RELEASE: Warmer spells detected in ice cores
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. …