BAS-Arctic Working Group
Working Group purpose
The Arctic Working Group is a group of more than 60 BAS scientists and operations staff who are currently working in the Arctic or have aspirations to work there. The AWG was started in 2018 to bring together researchers in different fields to share their experiences of Arctic research, to enable new collaborations, and to maximise the potential output of this group by coordinating efforts and knowledge regarding Arctic projects, funding calls and logistics.
Terms of Reference
Content coming soon
Our priorities
Content coming soon
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 …
SDOO
Abrupt warming episodes punctuate Greenland ice core records throughout the last glacial period. These events were first identified in two Greenland stable water isotope records (Dansgaard et al., 1993), and …
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 …
TEA-COSI
TEA_COSI assesses Arctic Sea-ice which has an important impact on currents and ocean circulations around the globe
UKESM-BAS
Reliable projections of the Earth’s climate are at the heart of scientific support for international efforts to address global change. There is increasing recognition that reliable projections require that physical …
ESA IAP ArcticSat project
Situational awareness in the ArcticAerosol-Cloud and Climate interations in the Arctic
Developing a better understanding of cloud and aerosol processes in the Arctic in order to improve climate models.
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
SIOS
Svalbard Integrated Earth Observing System (SIOS) is an international infrastructure project. There are 26 partners from Europe and Asia involved. The essential objective is to establish better coordinated services for …
SEANA
Global shipping is undergoing significant changes. In January 2020 the maximum sulphur emission by ships in international waters will reduce from 3.5% to 0.5% by mass, as a result of …
Data As Art
DATA AS ART is an ongoing science & art project in development at NERC’s British Antarctic Survey (BAS). It visualises science data (in its widest definition), to create stunning and …
ICEMAR
The EC-funded ICEMAR project is a GMES pilot service delivering sea ice information products directly to ships navigating through sea ice in the Arctic.
EISCAT Science Support
The UK EISCAT support group (UKESG) is a collaboration between the British Antarctic Survey and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, funded via the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) EISCAT, the …Iceland Greenland seas Project
PI: Ian Renfrew (University of East Anglia) CO-I’s: Tom Bracegirdle, Tom Lachlan-Cope, Alexandra Weiss PDRA’s: Andrew Elvidge (University of East Anglia), James Pope NERC Grant: NE/N009924/1 Project Partners: Robert Pickart …
ACSIS
Major changes are occurring across the North Atlantic climate system: in the ocean and atmosphere temperatures and circulation, in sea ice thickness and extent, and in key atmospheric constituents such …
Britain’s Arctic Research Station celebrates 30 years of science and monitoring climate change
28 September, 2021
The Arctic Station in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard in Norway, the UK’s permanent Arctic research facility, celebrates its 30 years anniversary this week (Tuesday 28 September) as it continues to undertake critical …
BAS celebrates International Day of Women and Girls in Science
11 February, 2022 by Melody Clark
Today, 11 February, is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a global initiative led by UNESCO and UN-Women. To celebrate, we have asked some of our female staff …
A seasonal transition in biological carbon pump efficiency in the northern Scotia Sea, Southern Ocean
1 April, 2023 by Clara Manno
The biological carbon pump (BCP) contributes to the oceanic CO2 sink by transferring particulate organic carbon (POC) into the deep ocean. The magnitude and efficiency of the BCP is likely…Ba/Ca of stylasterid coral skeletons records dissolved seawater barium concentrations
1 April, 2023 by Kate Hendry
The concentration of dissolved barium in seawater ([Ba]SW) is influenced by both primary productivity and ocean circulation patterns. Reconstructing past subsurface [Ba]SW can therefore provide important information on processes which…Read more on Ba/Ca of stylasterid coral skeletons records dissolved seawater barium concentrations
Organic or junk food? Microplastic contamination in Antarctic krill and salps
29 March, 2023 by Clara Manno, Elisa Bergami, Emily Rowlands, Laura Wilkie Johnston
Microplastics (MP) have been reported in Southern Ocean (SO), where they are likely to encounter Antarctic zooplankton and enter pelagic food webs. Here we assess the presence of MP within…Read more on Organic or junk food? Microplastic contamination in Antarctic krill and salps
Managing for climate resilient fisheries: Applications to the Southern Ocean
28 March, 2023 by Rachel Cavanagh
Climate change is having profound effects on populations of fished species and the ecosystems on which they depend, lending to a growing body of work that advocates for climate resilience…Read more on Managing for climate resilient fisheries: Applications to the Southern Ocean
The representation of sea salt aerosols and their role in polar climate within CMIP6
27 March, 2023 by Ananth Ranjithkumar, Markus Frey, Xin Yang
Natural aerosols and their interactions with clouds remain an important uncertainty within climate models, especially at the poles. Here, we study the behavior of sea salt aerosols (SSaer) in the…Read more on The representation of sea salt aerosols and their role in polar climate within CMIP6
The Palmer ice core as a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene series
16 March, 2023 by Dieter Tetzner, Jack Humby, Liz Thomas
The remote Antarctic continent, distant from human industrial activity, should be one of the last places on Earth to capture Anthropogenic change. Hence, stratigraphic evidence of pollution and nuclear activity…Visual Stratigraphy-Based Age Scale Developed for the Shallow Mount Siple Firn Core, Antarctica
15 March, 2023 by Dorothea Moser, Liz Thomas
Here we present a case study for using visual stratigraphy to date a shallow firn core from coastal West Antarctica. The Mount Siple ice core has the potential to reconstruct…Holocene history of the 79°N ice shelf reconstructed from epishelf lake and uplifted glaciomarine sediments
15 March, 2023 by James Smith
Nioghalvfjerdsbrae, or 79∘ N Glacier, is the largest marine-terminating glacier draining the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS). In recent years, its ∼ 70 km long fringing ice shelf (hereafter referred to as the…A biologist’s guide to the galaxy: Leveraging artificial intelligence and very high-resolution satellite imagery to monitor marine mammals from space
11 March, 2023 by Hannah Cubaynes, Penny Clarke
Monitoring marine mammals is of broad interest to governments and individuals around the globe. Very high-resolution (VHR) satellites hold the promise of reaching remote and challenging locations to fill gaps…Credit Where Credit is Due: Authorship of Open Ocean Data Workshop Report
9 March, 2023 by Katrin Linse
Schmidt Ocean Institute, in partnership with The Ditchley Foundation, hosted Credit where credit is due: Authorship of open ocean data at Ditchley Park, in Chipping Norton, UK, on October 6-7,…Read more on Credit Where Credit is Due: Authorship of Open Ocean Data Workshop Report
Ecological consequences of a single introduced species to the Antarctic: Terrestrial impacts of the invasive midge Eretmoptera murphyi on Signy Island
8 March, 2023 by Kevin Newsham, Peter Convey
The nutrient-poor soils of Antarctica are sensitive to change. Recent increases in the number of anthropogenic introductions mean that understanding the impact of non-native species on Antarctic soils is pertinent,…Mitigating elasmobranch fin trade: A market analysis for made-to-measure interventions
1 March, 2023 by Rachel Cavanagh
The unsustainable trade in elasmobranch products, particularly fins, contributes to the decline of elasmobranch populations worldwide. Designing and implementing context-appropriate solutions to mitigate unsustainable trade requires a thorough analysis of…Read more on Mitigating elasmobranch fin trade: A market analysis for made-to-measure interventions
Cryptic fungal diversity revealed by DNA metabarcoding in historic wooden structures at Whalers Bay, Deception Island, maritime Antarctic
1 March, 2023 by Peter Convey
We provide the first assessment of fungal diversity associated with historic wooden structures at Whalers Bay (Heritage Monument 71), Deception Island, maritime Antarctic, using DNA metabarcoding. We detected a total…A polar insect’s tale: Observations on the life cycle of Parochlus steinenii, the only winged midge native to Antarctica
1 March, 2023 by Peter Convey
Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands include some of the world’s most extreme and pristine terrestrial habitats. While they are characterized by low biodiversity and terrestrial communities comprise small, often microscopic,…Habitat severity characteristics structure soil communities at regional and local spatial scales along the Antarctica Peninsula
1 March, 2023 by Peter Convey
Antarctic soils provide an excellent setting to test biogeographical patterns across spatial and environmental scales given their relatively simple communities and the dominance of physical factors that create strong environmental…Biogeography and genetic diversity of terrestrial mites in the Ross Sea region, Antarctica
28 February, 2023 by Peter Convey
Free-living terrestrial mites (Acari) have persisted through numerous glacial cycles in Antarctica. Very little is known, however, of their genetic diversity and distribution, particularly within the Ross Sea region. To…Use of emerging technologies to help measure fjordic biodiversity and blue carbon: mini-manned submarines and autonomous underwater vehicle swarms
27 February, 2023 by Chester Sands, David Barnes, Nadescha Zwerschke, Simon Morley, Theresa Gossmann
Meaningful protection of global oceans lags far behind that of land and has taken little consideration of climate mitigation potential to date (such as through assessment of blue carbon stocks…Horizon scanning for potential invasive non-native species across the United Kingdom Overseas Territories
24 February, 2023 by David Barnes, Jonathan Shanklin, Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey
Invasive non-native species (INNS) are recognized as a major threat to island biodiversity, ecosystems, and economies globally. Preventing high-risk INNS from being introduced is the most cost-effective way to avoid…The Falkland Islands marine ecosystem: A review of the seasonal dynamics and trophic interactions across the food web
24 February, 2023 by Simon Morley
The Falkland Islands marine environment host a mix of temperate and subantarctic species. This review synthesizes baseline information regarding ontogenetic migration patterns and trophic interactions in relation to oceanographic dynamics…
