Ice Dynamics and Palaeoclimate team

We study glaciers and ice sheets to understand their response to climate change. 

What we do

The Ice Dynamics and Palaeoclimate Team aims to improve understanding of glaciers and ice sheets and their response to climate change.

We aim to provide scientific evidence required by decision makers to realise a sustainable future. To do this, we undertake observational campaigns in the polar and mountain regions; conduct laboratory work (particularly in ice core science); and develop and run state of the art models of the ice sheets and the wider Earth system.

Our work helps to reduce uncertainty in predictions of ice loss, sea level rise, and water security. 

Glaciologists installing monitoring equipment close to Chasm-1 on the Brunt Ice Shelf

Team priorities 

Ice sheet changes 

We monitor the polar ice sheets to understand how they behave and how they are responding to a warming environment.

Our team investigates drivers of ice loss in rapidly changing regions, areas of our planet that warming faster than anywhere else. 

Past climates 

Ice cores reveal how ice sheets responded to historical warm periods. 

Mountain glaciers 

We measure snow and ice melt to assess freshwater resources. 

Technology, innovation and training 

We use ice drilling, radar, seismic instruments, and advanced models like WAVI and UKESM. 

Our team also train PhD students and postdocs in polar research. 

A glaciologist measuring snow properties

Influencing and leading international programmes 

Our team takes a leading role working with: 

• the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) Research Programmes (Past Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics – PAIS), Themes (Antarctica and Climate; Ice Sheet & Under the Ice) and the Standing Science Group on Physical Sciences (IPICS, ISMASS) 
• UK and international partners who conduct Arctic and Antarctic research, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) 
• the International Partnership for Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) and the EU funded ‘Beyond EPICA’ project 

Stakeholder engagement 

We brief UK government departments including the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and support the Antarctic Treaty System. 

Featured project

Earth’s Oldest Ice

Beyond Epica – Oldest Ice drilled Antarctic cores up to 1.5 million years old. It explored past climate and greenhouse gas cycles, building on the Dome C ice record.

1. Brunt Ice Shelf movement

   British Antarctic Survey is monitoring glaciological changes on the Brunt Ice Shelf, home to Halley Research Station.

   Read more of: Brunt Ice Shelf movement

   

2. Sub-Antarctic Ice Coring Expedition (SubICE)

   SUBICE, the Sub-Antarctic – ice coring expedition, part of the international Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (ACE), successfully drilled several shallow ice cores, from five of the remote and globally significant sub-Antarctic islands.

   Read more of: Sub-Antarctic Ice Coring Expedition (SubICE)

   

3. How melt ponds weaken the ice shelf

   MIDAS investigates how climate warming affects the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica. The project studies the formation of large summer melt ponds and their influence on ice shelf structure and stability. Fieldwork, satellite observation, and computer simulations are used to understand these processes.

   Read more of: How melt ponds weaken the ice shelf

   

4. Seismic investigation of a subglacial lake

   A project using small explosive charges to measure reflected sound waves, researchers aimed to determine the lake’s water depth and characteristics, providing essential data to guide future drilling operations to access unique records of ice sheet history and potential microbial life.

   Read more of: Seismic investigation of a subglacial lake

   

5. Earth’s Oldest Ice

   Beyond Epica – Oldest Ice drilled Antarctic cores up to 1.5 million years old. It explored past climate and greenhouse gas cycles, building on the Dome C ice record.

   Read more of: Earth’s Oldest Ice

   

6. Bedmap2

   Bedmap2 is a suite of gridded products describing surface elevation, ice-thickness and the sea floor and subglacial bed elevation of the Antarctic.

   Read more of: Bedmap2

   

7. Bedmap Himalayas

   Bedmap Himalayas measures how much water is stored as glacier ice in High Mountain Asia by mapping ice thickness using radar.

   Read more of: Bedmap Himalayas

   

8. Past Westerly Winds

   Past Westerly Winds research project used climate model simulations to investigate how Southern Ocean westerly winds behaved during the last glacial maximum.

   Read more of: Past Westerly Winds

   

9. Weddell Sea ice sheet and climate

   Studying ice response during past climate changes improves understanding of Antarctic ice sheet dynamics. This knowledge helps predict how ice sheets may behave under future warming scenarios.

   Read more of: Weddell Sea ice sheet and climate

   

10. Rapid drilling to find ancient ice

    A new drill (the Rapid Access Isotope Drill, or RAID) is being developed by BAS which, rather than collect a full ice-core, this drill will chop up the ice and will allow collecting ice chippings.

    Read more of: Rapid drilling to find ancient ice

    

11. Ocean-driven ice-shelf thinning in Antarctica

    By exploiting advances in ice sheet modelling, and new Antarctic-wide datasets, this project aims to predict how far and how fast the observed ocean-driven thinning of floating ice shelves will propagate into the interior of the Antarctic ice sheet, and assess the consequences for global sea level over decadal-to-centennial timescales.

    Read more of: Ocean-driven ice-shelf thinning in Antarctica

    

12. Ice Sheet Modelling

    The ice sheet modelling group integrates observational data with dynamical models to improve our representation of how the ice flows beneath the surface, and to reveal how the shape and flow of the Antarctic ice sheet has changed in the past.

    Read more of: Ice Sheet Modelling

    

13. Climate and Ice during the Last Interglacial

    This project studies the last Interglacial (129-116 thousand years ago, ka) when CO2 and global temperature were both higher than they were before human industrialisation. By examining Last Interglacial climate, we can gain insights into climate processes and feedbacks close to those expected by the end of the 21st century.

    Read more of: Climate and Ice during the Last Interglacial

    

14. Antarctic Climate over the last millennia

    This project used ice cores drilled across the Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica to reconstruct past climate and understand whether the recent warming in these rapidly changing regions is unusual over longer timescales..

    Read more of: Antarctic Climate over the last millennia

    

15. West Antarctica wind strength and atmospheric circulation

    This project used ice core chemical and biological tracers, including marine diatoms swept onto the ice sheet by wind, to reconstruct 300 years of wind strength and atmospheric circulation patterns in West Antarctica.

    Read more of: West Antarctica wind strength and atmospheric circulation

    

16. Filchner Ice Shelf System, Antarctica

    This project investigated the stability of Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf to produce sea-level projections using hot water drilling, ocean measurements beneath the ice shelf, sediment coring, radar surveys and autonomous submersibles.

    Read more of: Filchner Ice Shelf System, Antarctica

    

17. iSTAR – Stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

    Science on the move – the mission to understand the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

    Read more of: iSTAR – Stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

    

18. iSTAR-C Dynamical control on the response of Pine Island Glacier

    iStar-C – strives to understand the dynamical control and response to change of Pine Island Glacier

    Read more of: iSTAR-C Dynamical control on the response of Pine Island Glacier

    

19. 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

    Read more of: iStar-D The contribution to sea-level rise from the Amundsen Sea sector of Antarctica

    

20. Adding water tracers to the UK Earth System Model

    The project adds water tracers, including stable isotopes, to the UK Earth system model (UKESM2). These tracers follow water through the model’s hydrological cycle.

    Read more of: Adding water tracers to the UK Earth System Model

    

21. Antarctic surface mass and energy exchanges

    SURFEIT unites UK and international scientists to study Antarctic ice and atmosphere interactions, improve sea-level projections, and support climate action.

    Read more of: Antarctic surface mass and energy exchanges

    

22. Modelling Greenland’s abrupt ancient warming

    SDOO project investigates abrupt climate warming episodes recorded in Greenland ice cores, known as Dansgaard-Oeschger events, where temperatures rose by 10-15°C within a decade during the last glacial period.

    Read more of: Modelling Greenland’s abrupt ancient warming

    

23. How Antarctic winds shaped CO₂

    SIWHA investigates how westerly winds and sea ice have influenced CO2 uptake and release in the Southern Ocean.

    Read more of: How Antarctic winds shaped CO₂

    

24. The Big Thaw

    The Big Thaw studies snow and glacier changes in the Alps and Himalayas to improve forecasts of mountain water resources for global communities.

    Read more of: The Big Thaw

    

1. Major earthquakes don’t run to timetable, 6,000-year study reveals

   A new study published in Science Advances has overturned a common assumption about earthquake prediction: that major earthquakes follow predictable cycles, and that regions can be ‘overdue’ for the next big one. 

   Read more of: Major earthquakes don’t run to timetable, 6,000-year study reveals

   

2. Ancient Antarctic ice loss offers insights into future climate scenarios

   Scientists from the University of Cambridge and British Antarctic Survey have used ice core records to draw new conclusions about how Antarctica was affected by increased global temperatures over 100,000 years ago.

   Read more of: Ancient Antarctic ice loss offers insights into future climate scenarios

   

3. Historic drilling project finds ice over 1.2 million years old

   The Beyond EPICA-Oldest Ice project has successfully drilled a 2800-metre-long ice core consisting of ice which is over 1.2 million years old.

   Read more of: Historic drilling project finds ice over 1.2 million years old

   

4. Antarctic drilling missions seek to understand climate and ice dynamics

   Over 30 researchers from international institutes are working on ice core drilling campaigns in Antarctica to probe the ice sheet’s behaviour, carbon cycling in the Southern Ocean, and the Earth’s climate history.

   Read more of: Antarctic drilling missions seek to understand climate and ice dynamics

   

5. Mysterious patterns revealed on ice shelf bottom

   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.

   Read more of: Mysterious patterns revealed on ice shelf bottom

   

6. Listen to ancient air escaping from polar ice cores at Royal Society

   Climate scientists from University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey will be at the 2024 Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, showcasing how they are using Antarctic ice cores to unlock the past and uncover clues to our planet’s future.

   Read more of: Listen to ancient air escaping from polar ice cores at Royal Society

   

7. Hold polar ice at Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition

   British Antarctic Survey, in partnership with the University of Cambridge, will be at the 2024 Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, showcasing how, using Antarctic ice cores to unlock the past, we can understand more about the future of our planet in a changing climate.

   Read more of: Hold polar ice at Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition

   

8. Scientists one step closer to predicting iceberg calving

   Scientists are a step closer to being able to predict when large icebergs will calve in Antarctica. 

   Read more of: Scientists one step closer to predicting iceberg calving

   

9. Antarctic ice explains dip in CO2 levels

   Small bubbles of air from ice in Antarctica resolve a long-standing debate about why there was a decline in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) during the 16th and 17th centuries.

   Read more of: Antarctic ice explains dip in CO2 levels

   

10. Ice cores reveal rapid Antarctic ice loss in the past

    The first direct evidence that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet shrank suddenly and dramatically at the end of the Last Ice Age, around eight thousand years ago, is published in a new study this week.

    Read more of: Ice cores reveal rapid Antarctic ice loss in the past

    

11. Team embarks on mission to investigate iceberg calving

    A team of scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is gearing up for an expedition to the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica to unravel the mysteries behind the calving processes that result in the formation of colossal icebergs.

    Read more of: Team embarks on mission to investigate iceberg calving

    

12. Hamish Pritchard awarded Innovation in Meteorology Prize

    British Antarctic Survey glaciologist Hamish Pritchard has won the 2023 Harry Otten Prize for Innovation in Meteorology.

    Read more of: Hamish Pritchard awarded Innovation in Meteorology Prize

    

13. Antarctica’s glacial border moves for miles with the tide

    New measurements of how the boundary between onshore glacier and floating ice shelf glides back-and- forth could help predict melting

    Read more of: Antarctica’s glacial border moves for miles with the tide

    

14. First images of giant iceberg from Brunt Ice Shelf

    ANTARCTICA – 13 March 2023. British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has released the first aerial pictures of the massive A81 iceberg that calved from the Brunt Ice Shelf in late January. […]

    Read more of: First images of giant iceberg from Brunt Ice Shelf

    

15. Oldest ice drilling campaign reaches key milestone

    Scientists in East Antarctica drilling to find the Earth’s oldest ice have reached a key milestone after two months of fieldwork in sub-zero temperatures. The team is part of Beyond […]

    Read more of: Oldest ice drilling campaign reaches key milestone

    

16. New funding to predict future sea-level rise in Antarctica

    Researchers at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) will develop new and ambitious ideas to tackle critical global environmental challenges, such as global sea-level rise from Antarctica, thanks to new funding. The […]

    Read more of: New funding to predict future sea-level rise in Antarctica

    

17. Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica calves giant iceberg 

    ANTARCTICA – 23 January 2023. A huge iceberg (1550 km²), almost the size of Greater London, has broken off the 150m thick Brunt Ice Shelf. It calved after cracks that […]

    Read more of: Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica calves giant iceberg 

    

18. Fieldwork starts 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 […]

    Read more of: Fieldwork starts on Thwaites Glacier

    

19. Beyond EPICA deep drilling campaign begins

    Scientists return to East Antarctica this month (December) to locate the oldest ice on Earth. The team is part of an EU-funded research consortium from 10 European countries whose aim […]

    Read more of: Beyond EPICA deep drilling campaign begins

    

20. Glaciers in the spotlight on BBC’s Our Frozen Planet

    How much water the mountain glaciers of the Himalayas contain and how the mighty Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica will contribute to global sea-level rise form part of the final […]

    Read more of: Glaciers in the spotlight on BBC’s Our Frozen Planet

    

21. Scientists expose vulnerabilities of critical Antarctic ice shelf

    Pine Island Ice Shelf in West Antarctica, which holds back enough ice to raise sea levels by 0.5 metres, could be more vulnerable to complete disintegration than previously thought. A […]

    Read more of: Scientists expose vulnerabilities of critical Antarctic ice shelf

    

22. Study sets course for research on Himalayan waters

    A new study featuring contributions from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists has identified 100 pressing research questions on climate change and water resources in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) that must be answered to protect the communities that live there.

    Read more of: Study sets course for research on Himalayan waters

    

23. Drilling of oldest ice on Earth completed

    The first ice core drilling campaign of Beyond Epica-Oldest Ice has been successfully completed at the remote Little Dome C site in Antarctica – one of the most extreme places […]

    Read more of: Drilling of oldest ice on Earth completed

    

24. Mission to drill Antarctica’s oldest ice

    The first campaign to drill Antarctica’s oldest ice starts this month (November). Beyond EPICA-Oldest Ice aims to drill an ice core to collect a record of past climate spanning 1.5 million years

    Read more of: Mission to drill Antarctica’s oldest ice

    

25. Immersive science-art exhibition opens at Glasgow Science Centre

    A new immersive exhibition, Polar Zero, opens at Glasgow Science Centre this weekend (2 October), injecting an artistic and cultural dimension to the climate negotiations at the Conference of the […]

    Read more of: Immersive science-art exhibition opens at Glasgow Science Centre

    

26. Polar Zero: visual arts take centre stage at COP26

    Immersive science-art ice core research exhibition to be displayed at Glasgow Science Centre during COP26

    Read more of: Polar Zero: visual arts take centre stage at COP26

    

27. Antarctica wasn’t as cold during the last ice age as previously thought, new study shows

    A study of two alternative methods for reconstructing ancient temperatures has given climate researchers a better understanding of how cold it was in Antarctica during the last Ice Age, around […]

    Read more of: Antarctica wasn’t as cold during the last ice age as previously thought, new study shows

    

28. The world’s largest iceberg

    An enormous iceberg has calved from the western side of the Ronne Ice Shelf, in Antarctica. The iceberg, newly named A-76, measures around 4320 sq km in size and is […]

    Read more of: The world’s largest iceberg

    

29. Synchronous timing of past abrupt climate changes

    New research has revealed that climate changes associated with past episodes of abrupt warming in Greenland occurred synchronously across a region extending from the Arctic to the Southern Hemisphere subtropics. […]

    Read more of: Synchronous timing of past abrupt climate changes

    

30. Drilling projects set to break new ground

    Two new research projects – in partnership with British Antarctic Survey engineers –  will drill deeper than ever before in Antarctica and in space. The first project, called INCISED, is […]

    Read more of: Drilling projects set to break new ground

    

31. Earth Day 2020: The Song of the Ice

    *Did you miss the live event on 22 April? The recording is now available to watch below, or on Youtube via: https://youtu.be/8r3xdrp5GGI* Online launch of The Song of the Ice […]

    Read more of: Earth Day 2020: The Song of the Ice

    

32. Scientists drill for first time on remote Antarctic Glacier

    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 […]

    Read more of: Scientists drill for first time on remote Antarctic Glacier

    

33. Ice core inspired art installation opens in London

    A new climate change artwork – Ice Floor, a new Phase 2 by Wayne Binitie, opens this week at Arup’s Fitzroy Street offices in London. The work was developed in […]

    Read more of: Ice core inspired art installation opens in London

    

34. New mission for 1.5 million year climate record

    This week a team of European researchers announces its plans for an ambitious mission to find the oldest ice on Earth (9 April 2019).  Antarctica’s ice has the potential to […]

    Read more of: New mission for 1.5 million year climate record

    

35. Arctic sea ice loss in past linked to abrupt climate events

    A new study on ice cores shows that reductions in sea ice in the Arctic in the period between 30-100,000 years ago led to major climate events. During this period, […]

    Read more of: Arctic sea ice loss in past linked to abrupt climate events

    

36. Scientists drill to record depths in West Antarctica

    A team of scientists and engineers has for the first time successfully drilled over two kilometres through the ice sheet in West Antarctica using hot water. This research will help […]

    Read more of: Scientists drill to record depths in West Antarctica

    

37. Scientists complete remote ice core drilling mission

    A team of scientists and engineers from British Antarctic Survey and the University of Cambridge has successfully drilled over 650 metres in to an Antarctic ice cap to obtain an […]

    Read more of: Scientists complete remote ice core drilling mission

    

38. Increased snowfall in Antarctica buffers sea-level rise

    A new study of snowfall across Antarctica provides vital information in the study of future sea-level rise. A team of scientists  from NASA and British Antarctic Survey (BAS), describes how […]

    Read more of: Increased snowfall in Antarctica buffers sea-level rise

    

39. Prestigious award for BAS early career scientist

    Congratulations to Dr Emilie Capron who has been awarded the prestigious Early Career Scientist Award of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG). Dr Capron is a palaeoclimatologist at British […]

    Read more of: Prestigious award for BAS early career scientist

    

40. Measuring glaciers in the Himalayan mountains

    Technology pioneered in Antarctica could soon be providing much-needed data on the amount of ice in the glaciers of High Mountain Asia thanks to an ingenious helicopter-mounted, low-frequency radar developed […]

    Read more of: Measuring glaciers in the Himalayan mountains

    

41. Our experts comment on IPCC report

    Expert comment on IPCC Special Report

    Read more of: Our experts comment on IPCC report

    

42. New study reveals increased snowfall in Antarctica over last two centuries

    The first comprehensive study of snowfall across Antarctica provides vital information in the study of future sea-level rise. Presenting this week (Monday 9 April 2018) at the European Geosciences Union […]

    Read more of: New study reveals increased snowfall in Antarctica over last two centuries

    

43. Tiny ice losses at Antarctica’s fringes can accelerate ice loss far away

    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 […]

    Read more of: Tiny ice losses at Antarctica’s fringes can accelerate ice loss far away

    

44. Maps reveal landscape beneath Antarctica’s weak underbelly

    A UK team of researchers has produced high-resolution maps of the bed beneath a major glacier in West Antarctica, which will help them predict future sea-level rise from this region. […]

    Read more of: Maps reveal landscape beneath Antarctica’s weak underbelly

    

45. Halley Research Station will not winter in 2018

    British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has decided, for safety reasons, that it will close its Halley VI Research Station during the 2018 Antarctic winter.  This will be the second time that […]

    Read more of: Halley Research Station will not winter in 2018

    

46. Impact of giant Antarctic iceberg – update on Larsen-C

      The largest remaining ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula lost 10% of its area when an iceberg four times the size of London broke free earlier this month. Since […]

    Read more of: Impact of giant Antarctic iceberg – update on Larsen-C

    

47. FEATURED PAPER: Winds and sea ice

    It is thought that wind changes over the Southern Ocean may have been critical in driving changes in CO2 between cold ice-world and warm-world climates. Because of inconsistencies between the […]

    Read more of: FEATURED PAPER: Winds and sea ice

    

48. Giant iceberg set to calve from Larsen C Ice Shelf

    A huge iceberg, roughly the size of Norfolk, looks set to break away from the Larsen C ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula.  Larsen C is more than twice the size […]

    Read more of: Giant iceberg set to calve from Larsen C Ice Shelf

    

49. Quest begins for oldest ice on Earth

    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 […]

    Read more of: Quest begins for oldest ice on Earth

    

50. FEATURED PAPER: Sea-ice reduction

    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 […]

    Read more of: FEATURED PAPER: Sea-ice reduction

    

51. FEATURED PAPER: Tidal controls on ice streams

    The often large ocean tides around Antarctica can greatly affect the flow of ice streams even long distances upstream of their grounding lines. Observing and modelling this interaction serves as […]

    Read more of: FEATURED PAPER: Tidal controls on ice streams

    

52. Ancient ice inspires Royal College of Art glass artist

    Data as art captivates a London audience

    Read more of: Ancient ice inspires Royal College of Art glass artist

    

53. New interactive game ‘Ice Flows’ launches today

    Researchers and games developers have joined forces to explain how climate change is affecting Antarctica. A new game called ‘Ice Flows’ launches today (Tuesday 23 August) at an international science meeting in Malaysia.

    Read more of: New interactive game ‘Ice Flows’ launches today

    

54. New Antarctic ice discovery aids future climate predictions

    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 […]

    Read more of: New Antarctic ice discovery aids future climate predictions

    

55. Polar ice reveals secrets of carbon-climate feedbacks

    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.

    Read more of: Polar ice reveals secrets of carbon-climate feedbacks

    

56. FEATURED PAPER: Improved modelling of ice-ocean processes

    Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica is currently one of the single biggest contributors to sea-level rise with an estimated volume loss of 1.2mm sea-level equivalent per decade. The loss […]

    Read more of: FEATURED PAPER: Improved modelling of ice-ocean processes

    

57. FEATURED PAPER: Recent snowfall increase

    This paper reveals that the amount of snowfall in coastal West Antarctica has increased during the 20th century, with annual snow accumulation since the 1990s the highest we have observed […]

    Read more of: FEATURED PAPER: Recent snowfall increase

    

58. PRESS RELEASE: New season – ambitious science

    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 […]

    Read more of: PRESS RELEASE: New season – ambitious science

    

59. FEATURED PAPER: Improving climate predictions

    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 […]

    Read more of: FEATURED PAPER: Improving climate predictions

    

60. NEWS STORY: Sea-level rise from Antarctic collapse

    Sea-level rise from Antarctic collapse may be slower than suggested A new study by scientists in the UK and France has found that Antarctic ice sheet collapse will have serious […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: Sea-level rise from Antarctic collapse

    

61. PRESS RELEASE: West Antarctica snow accumulation

    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 […]

    Read more of: PRESS RELEASE: West Antarctica snow accumulation

    

62. FEATURED PAPER: Glacier response to ice shelf collapse

    In February 2002, satellite images from a remote location in Antarctica revealed how an immense volume of floating ice, up to 1km thick, suddenly collapsed. Over the course of a […]

    Read more of: FEATURED PAPER: Glacier response to ice shelf collapse

    

63. NEWS STORY: New iSTAR season starts

    Scientists head to Pine Island Glacier for new research season A team of twelve scientists and support staff has arrived on Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica in the second […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: New iSTAR season starts

    

64. NEWS STORY: Ice shelf break up explained

    Antarctic Team Discovers Mechanism for Massive Ice Shelf Collapse New research has found that the cataclysmic break-up of a large floating ice shelf in the early 2000’s was primarily the […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: Ice shelf break up explained

    

65. NEWS STORY: Sea levels rising faster in Antarctica

    Antarctic sea-level rising faster than global rate A new study of satellite data from the last 19 years reveals that fresh water from melting glaciers has caused the sea-level around […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: Sea levels rising faster in Antarctica

    

66. NEWS STORY: Changes in winds in south

    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 […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: Changes in winds in south

    

67. NEWS STORY: Unlocking clues to past climate

    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 […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: Unlocking clues to past climate

    

68. PRESS RELEASE: Glacier’s thinning charted

    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 […]

    Read more of: PRESS RELEASE: Glacier’s thinning charted

    

69. NEWS STORY: First phase of glacier mission ends

    First leg of Antarctic iSTAR mission accomplished A team of British scientists has returned from a gruelling 1500km journey across the ice of West Antarctica after successfully completing the first […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: First phase of glacier mission ends

    

70. NEWS STORY: Glacier thinning at point of no return

    Focus on Pine Island Glacier, Antarctica Pine Island Glacier, on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is the largest single contributor to sea-level rise in Antarctica.  The stability of the […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: Glacier thinning at point of no return

    

71. NEWS STORY: Climate records from ice cores

    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 […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: Climate records from ice cores

    

72. NEWS STORY: “Stripes” hinder ice flow

    Tiger stripes’ under Antarctic glacier slow the flow Narrow stripes of dirt and rock beneath massive Antarctic glaciers create friction zones that slow the flow of ice toward the sea, […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: “Stripes” hinder ice flow

    

73. NEWS STORY: Ice melt rates measured

    Antarctic research details ice melt below massive glacier An expedition of international scientists to the far reaches of Antarctica’s remote Pine Island Glacier has yielded exact measurements of an undersea […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: Ice melt rates measured

    

74. NEWS STORY: Mission to Pine Island Glacier

    Ambitious science mission sets off for Antarctica A team of British scientists is making final preparations for an ambitious Antarctic science mission. They aim to discover what’s causing the recent […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: Mission to Pine Island Glacier

    

75. NEWS STORY: Measuring icequakes

    Icequakes unlock secrets of icestreams Measuring tiny icequakes is helping British Antarctic Survey scientists investigate ice streams despite the challenging environment they have to work in. The work of Emma […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: Measuring icequakes

    

76. PRESS RELEASE: Increase in melt rates on Antarctic Peninsula

    New insight into accelerating summer ice melt on the Antarctic Peninsula A new 1000-year Antarctic Peninsula climate reconstruction shows that summer ice melting has intensified almost ten-fold, and mostly since […]

    Read more of: PRESS RELEASE: Increase in melt rates on Antarctic Peninsula

    

77. NEWS STORY: Royal Society accolade for expert

    Top scientist receives Royal Society Research Professorship to fund long-term UK research A Royal Society Research Professorship has been awarded to one of British Antarctic Survey’s leading climate scientists Professor […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: Royal Society accolade for expert

    

78. NEWS STORY: Greenland ice shows past trends

    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 […]

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79. PRESS RELEASE: Assessing potential sea level rise

    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 […]

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80. NEWS STORY: Sea level rise calculated

    British Antarctic Survey researchers part of landmark study to improve projections for future sea level An international team of satellite experts including researchers at British Antarctic Survey has produced the […]

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81. NEWS STORY: Surfaces of glaciers studied

    The effects of microbial life on glaciers and ice sheets Around 10% of the Earth’s surface is covered by glacial ice (glaciers and ice sheets), some of which melt as […]

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82. PRESS RELEASE: Ice sheet behaviour analysed

    Ice sheet retreat controlled by the landscape Ice-sheet retreat can halt temporarily during long phases of climate warming, according to scientists. A UK team led by Durham University has found […]

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83. PRESS RELEASE: Antarctica’s climate timeline

    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 […]

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84. NEWS STORY: Assessing potential sea level rise

    New studies improve scientists’ understanding of the potential contribution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to global sea level rise Three peer-reviewed papers in Nature and Nature Geoscience published in recent […]

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85. PRESS RELEASE: Study of largest glacier

    Scientist on BBC Frozen Planet investigates how world’s largest glacier is contributing to sea-level rise A team of scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is to survey the largest glacier […]

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86. PRESS RELEASE: Greenland drilling progress

    Greenland Ice Core Team Reaches Bedrock Bedrock has been reached Tuesday July 27 2010 at the deep ice core drilling site North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) on the Greenland […]

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87. PRESS RELEASE: Ice thinning captured by satellites

    Lasers from space show thinning of Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets The most comprehensive picture of the rapidly thinning glaciers along the coastline of both the Antarctic and Greenland ice […]

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88. PRESS RELEASE: 3D map aids ice flow estimates

    New research provides insight into ice sheet behaviour A new study published this week takes scientists a step further in their quest to understand how Antarctica’s vast glaciers will contribute […]

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89. Satellite spies on doomed Antarctic ice shelf

    PRESS RELEASE 19 March 2002 PR Number 5/2002 Satellite images have revealed the collapse of Larsen B ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula fulfilling predictions made by British Antarctic Survey […]

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1. BLOG: Looking into the world’s most studied ice shelf

   Understanding what is going on inside an ice shelf is important for many reasons. But mostly, it allows us to better understand their contribution to sea level rise, and to […]

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2. PODCAST – Iceworld, Episode 3 – Ice Cores

   In Episode 3, Isobel Rowell and Dieter Tetzner have just returned from several weeks in the field, drilling for ice alongside Dr Robert Mulvaney and field guides Sarah Crowsley and […]

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3. SCIENCE ON THE ICE – Part 1: The search for the oldest ice continues

   BAS glaciologist Dr Robert Mulvaney journeys deep into Antarctica where he and the team continue their search for the oldest ice record of atmosphere and climate – hopefully stretching back 1.5 million years.

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4. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Working on the Polar Plateau

   Ice core drilling is a large complex operation to firstly get the equipment out into the field, assemble it, drill intact columns of ice and then process the collected ice for analysis. Markus Frey explains.

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5. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Journey to the Polar plateau

   Our journey to the Antarctic Polar Plateau, where we will be spending the next few weeks as part of the ISOL-ICE research project, began on 7 December. We boarded a […]

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6. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Polar guide tackles the long wait #6

   Life in Antarctica can be difficult but strangely the more difficult it is, the easier it becomes. Life starts to be simple. One only has to do whatever it takes. The […]

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7. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Polar guide reaches the ice – #3

   The FISS project is huge on a logistical scale. Drilling through an eight hundred meter ice shelf and providing support and equipment for several seismic, radar and instrument inputs and […]

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8. ANTARCTIC BLOG: The journey South is long – #2

   “Goodbyes” get harder each time so I avoid them by saying “See you later” as if I’m just going to the shop. The journey South is long and for me […]

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9. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Tales from a polar guide – #1

   It’s four AM and I’m wide awake, staring at the deep blue and black shadows on the ceiling of my bedroom. I allow myself just this once to indulge in […]

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10. BLOG: A New Frontier – exploring the Himalaya

    Earlier this year I spent two months doing fieldwork  in the Hindu-Kush Himalaya mountain region in South and Central Asia. It hosts the largest volume of ice and snow outside the polar regions and, for this reason, […]

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