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 …
Sea-level rise
Changes to the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets affects sea level all over the world.
Changes to the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets affects sea level all over the world. On the Antarctic Peninsula and in West Antarctica, the ice sheet is thinning, and satellite data reveals this rate is accelerating. Warm ocean currents deep beneath the ice shelves are melting the ice and causing it to flow into the sea faster than snow can accumulate.
iSTAR – Stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
Science on the move – the mission to understand the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
iSTAR-B Ocean circulation and melting beneath the ice shelves of the south-eastern Amundsen Sea
iStar-B studies ocean circulation and melting beneath the ice shelves of the south-eastern Amundsen Sea
Antarctic tipping points
1 June, 2023
Concern is rising about tipping points in the Antarctic region (Armstrong et al., 2022). Recent heatwaves, changes in the Southern Ocean, and a reduction in the extent of Antarctic sea …
Sea-level rise
30 June, 2022
Introduction Sea-level rise increases the frequency of coastal flooding events and threatens coastal populations around the world. Why is sea-level rise important? Around 148 million people are exposed to coastal …
Seafloor images explain Thwaites Glacier retreat
5 September, 2022
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 …
The threat from Thwaites: the retreat of Antarctica’s riskiest glacier
14 December, 2021
Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier is retreating rapidly as a warming ocean slowly erases its ice from below, leading to a faster flow, more fracturing and a threat of collapse, according to …
Antarctic glacier is ripping apart at ice front, causing it to gain speed
11 June, 2021
For decades, the ice shelf helping to hold back one of the fastest-moving glaciers in Antarctica – Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica – has gradually thinned. Analysis of satellite …
Underwater robot reveals how Thwaites Glacier is melting
19 April, 2021
For the first time, researchers have collected data from underneath the remote Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica using an underwater robot.
New autonomous robotic for RRS Sir David Attenborough
15 March, 2021
A new unmanned robotic vehicle on the RRS Sir David Attenborough will help scientists to understand the impact of glaciers on sea-level rise.
Do your PhD with British Antarctic Survey in 2021
25 November, 2020
Applications for PhD projects with British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are now open for October 2021 admission. There are currently over 100 PhD students associated with BAS, working on a huge variety …
Deep channels link ocean to Antarctic glacier
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 …
Scientists drill for first time on remote Antarctic Glacier
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 …
Scientists head to Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier
14 November, 2019
Nearly 100 scientists and support staff depart this week (13 November 2019) for the most ambitious mission to date for Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. In the second year of …
Solar heat drives rapid melting of Antarctic Ice Shelf
29 April, 2019
A section of the world’s largest ice shelf in Antarctica – around the size of Spain – is melting 10 times faster than average and warm ocean currents beneath it …