Geology and Geophysics team

Our ambition

Is to understand the geological structure and tectonic evolution of the Antarctic continent to generate new knowledge about its key role in the evolution of the Earth System itself. Our aim is to use state of the art technologies to explore both the landscape and the deeper structure of Earth hidden beneath the thick ice sheets that cover more than 99% of Antarctica. By achieving this we will produce new geological and geophysical maps and improve models and simulations of key geological processes such as mountain building, basin formation, magmatism and crustal growth.

Geologist working on a rock outcrop on the Black Coast, Antarctica
Geologist working on a rock outcrop on the Black Coast, Antarctica

We work collaboratively with national and international partners to deploy a combination of airborne and marine geophysics, spectral remote sensing, field mapping and geochemistry and geochronology to improve our understanding of the geological evolution of Antarctica and its super-continental linkages. Combining this with results from global geological studies we can interpret the role of Antarctica in the breakup of the Gondwana supercontinent as well as the assembly of earlier supercontinents, such as Rodinia and Columbia. Understanding Antarctic geology is also critical for comprehending the internal factors affecting ice flow dynamics and long-term ice sheet stability, in addition to climate and ocean processes. Our research provides unprecedented insights into the structure and evolution of interior East Antarctica and on the fundamental tectonic boundary between East and West Antarctica.

Team priorities

Science

Geology

  • Geochemical evolution of the Antarctic Peninsula magmatic system. Investigate the Earth’s crustal growth processes through studies of the Antarctic Peninsula as the southern continuation of the Andean Pacific margin
  • Geological and geophysical mapping of British Antarctic Territory. Develop a critical base-line for understanding and investigating Antarctica

Geophysics

  • Unveiling the South Pole Frontier. Assemble a new multinational and multidisciplinary team to explore one of last frontiers on Earth – the South Pole region south of 83⁰S to provide unprecedented insights into the structure and evolution of interior East Antarctica and the fundamental tectonic boundary between East and West Antarctica. The new gravity, magnetic, radar and ice surface datasets we will collect over the South Pole Frontier are urgently needed for global satellite gravity field determination, satellite magnetic studies and satellite altimetry missions
  • Revealing the mosaic of East Antarctica. To understand the different geological provinces, and some of the oldest rocks on the planet that are covered by the vast East Antarctic Ice sheet covers. Once thought to be a more or less homogeneous block, ground breaking geophysical exploration is revealing that the interior of East Antarctica is instead a complex mosaic of different geological provinces. Unique opportunities to comprehend the linkages between East Antarctica and ancient (Precambrian) supercontinents like Rodinia and Columbia are beginning to emerge. Comprehending how subglacial geology and geothermal heat flux may affect the largest ice sheet remaining on Earth is also a key priority.
  • Evolution of the West Antarctic and Weddell Sea Rift systems. To investigate and create new knowledge about the evolution of crustal and mantle processes that heralded the break-up of Gondwana. The West Antarctic Rift System is one of the largest and yet least understood continental rift systems on the planet. It is particularly critical as it forms the lithospheric cradle for several rapidly changing and potentially more unstable sectors of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The Weddell Sea Rift System underlies the Ronne and Fichner Ice shelves that buttress both the West and East Antarctic ice sheets.

 Technology, innovation and training

  • Airborne gravity, magnetic and radar provide the key tools we use for geophysical exploration of the ice covered Antarctic interior
  • Provide the broader geosciences community with critical new gravity, magnetic, radar and ice surface datasets over the South Pole region that are urgently required for global satellite gravity (GOCE) field determination, satellite magnetic studies (SWARM) and satellite altimetry missions (Cryosat-2)
  • State of the art geochemical analysis and dating is coupled with field based geological exploration and mapping to provide the most complete geological picture to date
  • Using and developing spectral remote sensing methods to map lithology and the target detection of minerals
  • Continued commitment to post graduate training through NERC Doctoral Training Partnerships and direct collaboration

Influencing and leading international programmes

  • Ongoing track record of successful exploration of remote and hostile frontier regions through major international collaborations such as the AGAP project over the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains
  • Play a key role in international projects compiling gravity (Ant-GP), magnetic (ADMAP2), and topographic (BEDMAP2) geophysical data for public release
  • Developing an international programme (with Greenland Geological Survey) to identify critical metals using spectral remote sensing

Stakeholder & public engagement

  • Producing new geological maps of British Antarctic Territory is part of our commitment to one of our key stakeholders, the FCO
  • Provision of geological and geophysical data sets to the wider scientific community
  • Publicising and explaining our scientific advances through the BAS Communications Team
  • Enthusing next generation of Antarctic explorers & scientist through outreach activities such as the Lyme Regis Fossil festival
  • Training early career researchers through master/PhD studentships in partnership with major UK Universities, post-Docs & EU fellowships, such as the Horizon 2020 Marie Curie scheme
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Alex Burton-Johnson

Honorary Researcher

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Tom Jordan

Aerogroup Gravity

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Teal Riley

Survey Geologist

A airplane that is on top of a snow covered mountain.

ICEGRAV

The ICEGRAV project is a major international collaboration between Danish, US, UK, Norwegian and Argentinian scientists. The primary aim of the project is to carry our airborne gravity observations across …
A airplane that is covered in snow.

GOCE+Antarctica

GOCE+Antarctica- Dynamic Antarctic Lithosphere -is an international project supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) that is using GOCE satellite gravity gradient data, GPS data and innovative 3D modelling to …
A close up of a colorful background.

PolarGAP

The polar regions have the capacity to amaze and astound, but despite the considerable progress of recent decades we still know far less about them than less remote parts of …

Detecting rare earth elements with remote sensing

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of naturally occurring, chemically similar elements present in the Earth’s crust. Over the past decades these elements have become increasingly critical to many …

Geological mapping of British Antarctic Territory

Geological maps remain the most effective method of communicating large amounts of geological information. An ongoing project to compile over 50 years of geological field data into new geological maps …

AGAP

Exploring Antarctica's 'ghost mountains'
A graphic showing beautiful sections of the geological map.

New map unlocks deep digital data of Antarctica’s history

19 May, 2023

GeoMAP Antarctica, an open-access and comprehensive geological mapping database of Antarctica, was released today in Nature Scientific Data. Understanding Antarctica’s geosphere is, and has been, critical for understanding the continent’s …

Map

Antarctica’s magnetic link to ancient neighbours

10 March, 2021

For the first time, an international team of scientists has used satellite magnetic data from ESA’s Swarm mission, together with aeromagnetic data, to help reveal the mysteries of the geology …

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 …

A group of people riding skis on top of a snow covered slope.

Discovery of high geothermal heat at South Pole

14 November, 2018

Scientists have discovered an area near the South Pole where the base of the Antarctic Ice Sheet is melting unexpectedly quickly. Using radar to look through three km of ice, …

New magnetic anomaly map helps unveil Antarctica

17 July, 2018

The most comprehensive magnetic map of Antarctica ever produced is published this week (15 July 2018). The new map – which includes 3.5 million line-kilometres of magnetic anomaly data collected …

A view of a snow covered slope.

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 …

Mountains and glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula from the air.

FEATURED PAPER: Modelling Gondwana break-up

17 November, 2016

Gondwana break-up changed the global continental configuration, leading to the opening of major oceanic gateways, shifts in the climate system and significant impacts on the biosphere, hydrosphere and cryosphere. Although …

Twin otter landing on the Dyer Plateau

PRESS RELEASE: New season – ambitious science

23 November, 2015

New season tackles ambitious science and logistical challenges The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) 2015/16 field season is underway with dozens of scientists and support staff – together with planes and tonnes …

Images of the ice-covered Gamburtsev Mountains revealed water-filled valleys, as seen by the cluster of vertical lines in this image (Tim Creyts, University of Columbia)

NEWS STORY: Mountains frozen in time

19 November, 2014

Antarctic “ghost mountains” preserved by ice sheet A new study reveals how the rugged ridgelines of East Antarctica’s ancient and mysterious ‘ghost mountains’ have been preserved for millions of years …

NEWS STORY: Geology under the ice

11 April, 2014

An international research team has generated the first comprehensive map of geology beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet that will help to understand long-term changes in the largest ice sheet …

NEWS STORY: Airborne geophysics in the Antarctic

27 January, 2014

In this month’s International Innovation journal Dr Fausto Ferraccioli discusses how airborne geophysics can be used to uncover the geology of Antarctica and explore some of the Earth’s final frontiers. …

A group of people in the snow.

NEWS STORY: Giant trench under Antarctic Ice

15 January, 2014

What lies beneath – scientists discover giant trench under Antarctic Ice A massive ancient subglacial trough — deeper than the Grand Canyon — has been discovered by a team of …

BAS twin otter aircraft on the Antarctic ice sheet.

NEWS STORY: Mapping Antarctica’s last frontier

13 December, 2013

Mapping of remote Antarctic frontier will help model its reaction to climate change and unlock secrets of Earth’s ancient supercontinents. For the first time scientists have begun mapping one of …

Signy research station buildings with snow on the ground

NEWS STORY: Earthquakes strike Scotia Sea

18 November, 2013

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 …

PRESS RELEASE: Secrets of hidden rift valley

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, …

Schematic showing that proposed rifting processes within the East Antarctic Rift System provided the tectonic trigger for uplift of the Gamburtsev Mountains.

PRESS RELEASE: Buried mountain range mapped

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 …

PRESS RELEASE: Underwater volcanoes discovered

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 …

A group of people sitting in the snow.

PRESS RELEASE: New discovery from “ghost mountains”

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 …

Twin otter landing on the Dyer Plateau

PRESS RELEASE: Mission to buried mountain range

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 …

A propellor areoplane next to the flags of the Antarctic Treaty nations, behind the south pole marker

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Science from the air #5

26 January, 2016 by Tom Jordan

Wrapping up I have started several of my blog posts saying I am writing in various odd/unusual/uncomfortable locations…the back of a Twin Otter, or in a mountain tent high on …

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Science from the air #1

7 December, 2015 by Tom Jordan

Tom Jordan is part of the PolarGAP project, an ambitious international collaboration which will use airborne geophysics to explore one of the last known frontiers on our planet – the …

Polarimetric airborne scientific instrument, mark 2, an ice‐sounding airborne synthetic aperture radar for subglacial 3D imagery

1 September, 2023 by Alvaro Arenas Pingarron, Carl Robinson, Hugh Corr, Tom Jordan, Alvaro Pingarron Arenas

Polarimetric Airborne Scientific INstrument, mark 2 (PASIN2) is a 150 MHz coherent pulsed radar with the purpose of deep ice sounding for bedrock, subglacial channels and ice-water interface detection in…

Read more on Polarimetric airborne scientific instrument, mark 2, an ice‐sounding airborne synthetic aperture radar for subglacial 3D imagery

Antarctic Bedmap data: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) sharing of 60 years of ice bed, surface, and thickness data

17 July, 2023 by Alice Fremand, Andy Smith, David Vaughan, Ed King, Elena Field, Fausto Ferraccioli, Hugh Corr, Hamish Pritchard, Peter Fretwell, Richard Hindmarsh, Tom Jordan, Richard Hindmarsh

One of the key components of this research has been the mapping of Antarctic bed topography and ice thickness parameters that are crucial for modelling ice flow and hence for…

Read more on Antarctic Bedmap data: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) sharing of 60 years of ice bed, surface, and thickness data

Cretaceous – Paleogene tectonic reconstructions of the South Scotia Ridge and implications for the initiation of subduction in the Scotia Sea

7 July, 2023 by Alex Burton-Johnson, Kelly Hogan, Philip Leat, Teal Riley

The Cenozoic development of the Scotia Sea and opening of Drake Passage led to the dispersal of crustal blocks of the North and South Scotia ridges that today have a…

Read more on Cretaceous – Paleogene tectonic reconstructions of the South Scotia Ridge and implications for the initiation of subduction in the Scotia Sea

The sub‐ice structure of Mt. Melbourne Volcanic Field (Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica) uncovered by High‐Resolution Aeromagnetic data

1 July, 2023 by Fausto Ferraccioli

The Mt. Melbourne Volcanic Field is a quiescent volcanic complex located in Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica, mostly covered by ice. Its inner structure has remained largely unknown, due to the…

Read more on The sub‐ice structure of Mt. Melbourne Volcanic Field (Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica) uncovered by High‐Resolution Aeromagnetic data

Geological sketch map and implications for ice flow of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica, from integrated aerogeophysical observations

2 June, 2023 by Fausto Ferraccioli, Tom Jordan

The geology beneath Thwaites Glacier, the Antarctic glacial catchment most vulnerable to climate change, is unknown. Thwaites Glacier lies within the West Antarctic Rift System, but details of the subglacial…

Read more on Geological sketch map and implications for ice flow of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica, from integrated aerogeophysical observations

Breaking the Ring of Fire: How ridge collision, slab age, and convergence rate narrowed and terminated the Antarctic continental arc

1 May, 2023 by Alex Burton-Johnson

The geometry of the Antarctic-Phoenix Plate system, with the Antarctic Plate forming both the overriding plate and the conjugate to the subducting oceanic plate, allows quantification of slab age and…

Read more on Breaking the Ring of Fire: How ridge collision, slab age, and convergence rate narrowed and terminated the Antarctic continental arc

Antarctica as a ‘natural laboratory’ for the critical assessment of the archaeological validity of early stone tool sites

1 April, 2023 by Teal Riley

Lithic technologies dominate understanding of early humans, yet natural processes can fracture rock in ways that resemble artefacts made by Homo sapiens and other primates. Differentiating between fractures made by…

Read more on Antarctica as a ‘natural laboratory’ for the critical assessment of the archaeological validity of early stone tool sites

Anomalously high heat flow regions beneath the Transantarctic Mountains and Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica inferred from Curie depth

3 January, 2023 by Maximilian Lowe, Robert Larter, Tom Jordan

The Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) separate the warmer lithosphere of the Cretaceous-Tertiary West Antarctic rift system and the colder and older provinces of East Antarctica. Low velocity zones beneath the TAM…

Read more on Anomalously high heat flow regions beneath the Transantarctic Mountains and Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica inferred from Curie depth

Palaeozoic – Early Mesozoic geological history of the Antarctic Peninsula and correlations with Patagonia: Kinematic reconstructions of the proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana

1 January, 2023 by Alex Burton-Johnson, Philip Leat, Teal Riley

The Antarctic Peninsula preserves geological evidence of a long-lived continental margin with intrusive, volcaniclastic and accretionary complexes indicating a convergent margin setting from at least the Cambrian to the Cenozoic.…

Read more on Palaeozoic – Early Mesozoic geological history of the Antarctic Peninsula and correlations with Patagonia: Kinematic reconstructions of the proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana

Does tectonic deformation control episodic continental arc magmatism? Evidence from granitic magnetic fabrics (AMS)

1 December, 2022 by Alex Burton-Johnson, Teal Riley

This paper applies magnetic fabric analyses to plutons of the East Pacific continental arc. Continental arc magmatism is strongly episodic, with voluminous granitic magma addition occurring during discrete high-flux events…

Read more on Does tectonic deformation control episodic continental arc magmatism? Evidence from granitic magnetic fabrics (AMS)