Palaeo Environments, Ice Sheets and Climate Change team

We study how ice sheets, oceans and the global climate have changed over timescales of decades to millions of years, and how life has evolved in response to these changes.

What we do

We specialise in providing detailed records of climate and environmental change from the polar regions. By understanding past changes, we can reduce uncertainty in predictions of future climate and sea level change. This knowledge contributes to the BAS Strategic Science themes of Climate Change Science for Developing Resilience, Protecting Coastal and Technical Infrastructure and Safeguarding our Future.

BAS scientists extracting a sediment core from a remote lake on Horseshoe Island, Antarctic Peninsula. The climate record in this core spans approximately 20,000 years.

Team priorities 

Glacial history and ice sheet sensitivity 

We study how polar ice sheets and ice shelves responded to environmental changes in the past. This helps improve forecasts of global sea level and ice mass loss. Our data is also used to validate and improve ice sheet models. 

Late glacial and Holocene climate change 

We investigate the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds and their impact on ice sheet behaviour and the global carbon cycle. By examining marine and terrestrial sediments, we can detect when the impact of human activity begins to exceed natural climate variability. 

Past polar oceans and future climate 

Our research looks at changes in Southern Ocean circulation. We study how sea ice, meltwater, and biological productivity influenced past climate. These insights help predict future ocean-driven climate changes. 

Earth’s response to high CO₂ levels 

We investigate how high CO2 levels in the geological past affected climate. This includes the major transition from a greenhouse to an icehouse climate that took place millions of years ago. We do this by studying drilled sediment cores and ecological community analysis of geological outcrops.

Technology, innovation and training 

We use advanced methods to unlock ice sheet and climate history. They include:  

• Sampling and analysing marine, sub-ice shelf and lacustrine sediments to obtain records of changes in climate, ice sheet extent and ice shelf presence or absence.

• Sampling and analysing subglacial sediments to improve knowledge of how their nature and subglacial hydrology influence glacier flow.

• Collecting and analysing geological samples from outcrops and drilled shallow rock cores to determine how long they have been exposed above the ice surface and using the results to reconstruct ice surface elevation changes.

• Collecting and analysing airborne geophysical survey data with aircraft and drones to reveal ice sheet thickness and subglacial geology.

• Collecting and analysing marine geophysical data with ships and autonomous underwater vehicles to reveal the topography and characteristics the former ice sheet bed in areas ice has retreated from.

• Applying new dating techniques and temperature and sea-ice proxies. 
• We also train the next generation of polar scientists, ensuring skills and knowledge are passed on for future research. 

Influencing and leading international programmes 

Our team plays a leadership role in, and contributes to, global science initiatives including the: 

• INSTANT
• Antarctic International Ocean Discovery Programme 

We also participate in drilling initiatives including the IODP3, SWAIS2C and we collaborate in planning expeditions using the MeBo sea-floor drilling system.  

Stakeholder engagement 

We provide policy briefings and science updates to UK government departments, including the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). 

We also support UN climate and ocean frameworks. 

Featured project

Understanding Greenland’s changing ice

GIANT is a pioneering science project that will test the potential for early warning of a critical climate tipping point.

1. Paleogene Climate and Deep-water Evolution in the Southwest Atlantic

   This project will tackle the the question of how strongly changes in ocean circulation affect global climate.

   Read more of: Paleogene Climate and Deep-water Evolution in the Southwest Atlantic

   

2. The role of Antarctic sea-ice in global climate

   This project examines Antarctic sea-ice’s role in global climate, using marine sediment and ice core records to reconstruct past sea-ice extent.

   Read more of: The role of Antarctic sea-ice in global climate

   

3. The role of the Southern Ocean in regulating atmospheric CO2 on glacial-interglacial timescales

   This project attempts to reconstruct changes in the intermediate-deep ocean density gradient in the South Atlantic across the last deglaciation in order to assess the link between deep ocean stratification and atmospheric CO2.

   Read more of: The role of the Southern Ocean in regulating atmospheric CO2 on glacial-interglacial timescales

   

4. Impact of Southern Westerly Winds and Circumpolar Deep Water on climate and marine ecology

   Research project investigating how shifting southern westerly winds drive warm Circumpolar Deep Water onto the West Antarctic Peninsula shelf, accelerating glacier melt, reducing sea ice, and transforming marine ecosystems.

   Read more of: Impact of Southern Westerly Winds and Circumpolar Deep Water on climate and marine ecology

   

5. Identification of glacial-time sources for Antarctic deep- and bottom-water masses

   By studying the geochemistry of deep marine sediments recovered from the Southern Ocean sea floor, this research aims to establish the extent of this reorganisation of deep water circulation, and to better understand its potential impacts on past climate.

   Read more of: Identification of glacial-time sources for Antarctic deep- and bottom-water masses

   

6. Improving estimates of Antarctica’s contribution to sea level

   This research aims to improve estimates of Antarctica’s contribution to sea level. Sea level is currently rising at approximately 3mm/yr.

   Read more of: Improving estimates of Antarctica’s contribution to sea level

   

7. Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Sea-Surface

   A project studying the impact of ocean acidification on pteropods, small shelled marine animals considered a sentinel species for ocean acidification.

   Read more of: Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Sea-Surface

   

8. Impact of global disturbances on evolution of polar life

   Why does global biodiversity show such a steep increase just as climates were deteriorating?

   Read more of: Impact of global disturbances on evolution of polar life

   

9. 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 the core belt of the SHW.

   Read more of: Late Quaternary changes in the Westerly Winds over the Southern Ocean

   

10. 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.

    Read more of: Arctic marine geophysics

    

11. Depositional patterns and records in sediment drifts off the Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica

    During this project essential survey data was collected to help plan future deep ocean drilling expeditions.

    Read more of: Depositional patterns and records in sediment drifts off the Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica

    

12. IMCONet

    IMCONet is an international Research Network that follows an interdisciplinary approach to understand the consequences of Climate Change in coastal Western Antarctica.

    Read more of: IMCONet

    

13. Role of oceanic forcing in West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat

    The aim of this NERC funded project is to determine how long Circumpolar Deep Water has been present on the shelf and whether the rate of oceanic melting we see today has varied over longer timescales.

    Read more of: Role of oceanic forcing in West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat

    

14. BEAMISH: Basal Conditions on Rutford Ice Stream

    BEAMISH drilled through over 2 km of ice on Rutford Ice Stream to discover when the West Antarctic Ice Sheet last collapsed and how water and soft sediments beneath it help the ice flow towards the sea.

    Read more of: BEAMISH: Basal Conditions on Rutford Ice Stream

    

15. Ice sheet change in the Amundsen Sea Embayment

    ANiSEED reconstructed millennial-scale ice sheet change in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment, Antarctica, using high-precision exposure dating.

    Read more of: Ice sheet change in the Amundsen Sea Embayment

    

16. Geological History Constraints on the Magnitude of Grounding Line Retreat in the Thwaites Glacier System

    GHC 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 of thinning and retreat and subsequent re-advance is important to provide a context for the current and future behaviour of Thwaites Glacier.

    Read more of: Geological History Constraints on the Magnitude of Grounding Line Retreat in the Thwaites Glacier System

    

17. Stability and Instability – Records of External Drivers and Resulting Behaviour of Thwaites Glacier

    THOR examined sedimentary record both offshore from the glacier and beneath the ice shelf, together with glacial landforms on the sea bed, to reconstruct past changes in ocean conditions and the glaciers response to these changes.

    Read more of: Stability and Instability – Records of External Drivers and Resulting Behaviour of Thwaites Glacier

    

1. Scientists secure funding to study Greenland and North Atlantic climate tipping points

   British Antarctic Survey (BAS) researchers have been selected for funding from The Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) to help improve our understanding of climate tipping points.

   Read more of: Scientists secure funding to study Greenland and North Atlantic climate tipping points

   

2. 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

   

3. 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

   

4. New field season on Thwaites Glacier underway

   Thirty seven scientists and over 24 support staff are arriving in Antarctica to work on Thwaites Glacier.

   Read more of: New field season on Thwaites Glacier underway

   

5. Team heads for Antarctica to study global warming effects

   A research mission to Antarctica will study the effects of global warming on the West Antarctic ice sheet.

   Read more of: Team heads for Antarctica to study global warming effects

   

6. Increasing ship traffic in Inuit Nunangat

   Researchers from British Antarctic Survey are heading to the Canadian Arctic this week to learn more about the impacts of increasing ship traffic in Inuit Nunangat. In recent years, climate […]

   Read more of: Increasing ship traffic in Inuit Nunangat

   

7. Rocks beneath Antarctic Ice Sheet reveal surprising past

   The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is shrinking, with many glaciers across the region retreating and melting at an alarming rate. However, this was not always the case according to new […]

   Read more of: Rocks beneath Antarctic Ice Sheet reveal surprising past

   

8. Sea butterfly life cycle threatened by climate change

   Shelled pteropods, commonly known as sea butterflies, are increasingly exposed to ocean changes, but some species are more vulnerable to this threat. In a new study, published this month (11 […]

   Read more of: Sea butterfly life cycle threatened by climate change

   

9. 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

   

10. Oldest marine DNA discovered in Antarctic sediments

    Scientists have discovered one million year old marine DNA in deep-sea sediments of the Scotia Sea, north of the Antarctic continent. This is the oldest DNA recovered of this kind […]

    Read more of: Oldest marine DNA discovered in Antarctic sediments

    

11. Ice age valleys give clues to future ice sheet change

    Deep valleys buried under the seafloor of the North Sea record how the ancient ice sheets that used to cover the UK and Europe expelled water to stop themselves from […]

    Read more of: Ice age valleys give clues to future ice sheet change

    

12. Seafloor images explain Thwaites Glacier retreat

    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 […]

    Read more of: Seafloor images explain Thwaites Glacier retreat

    

13. 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

    

14. Abundance of life discovered beneath an Antarctic ice shelf

    Far beneath the ice shelves of the Antarctic, there is more marine life than expected, finds a recent study in the journal Current Biology, published this week (20 December 2021). […]

    Read more of: Abundance of life discovered beneath an Antarctic ice shelf

    

15. ‘MRI’ scan reveals spectacular ice age landscapes beneath the North Sea

    Spectacular ice age landscapes beneath the North Sea have been discovered using 3D seismic reflection technology.  Similar to MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) the images reveal in unprecedented detail huge seafloor […]

    Read more of: ‘MRI’ scan reveals spectacular ice age landscapes beneath the North Sea

    

16. IPCC: Polar scientists welcome Climate Change Assessment 

    CAMBRIDGE: British Antarctic Survey welcomes the publication of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group 1 component of its Sixth Assessment Report.  This assessment brings together the latest advances in […]

    Read more of: IPCC: Polar scientists welcome Climate Change Assessment 

    

17. Scientists reconstruct past history of largest ice shelf on Antarctic Peninsula

    For the first time, geological records have been used to reconstruct the history of Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica.  The ice shelf is the largest remaining remnant of a […]

    Read more of: Scientists reconstruct past history of largest ice shelf on Antarctic Peninsula

    

18. Underwater robot reveals how Thwaites Glacier is melting

    For the first time, researchers have collected data from underneath the remote Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica using an underwater robot.

    Read more of: Underwater robot reveals how Thwaites Glacier is melting

    

19. Southern Hemisphere westerly winds likely to intensify as climate warms

    Polar climate scientists have created the most high resolution past record of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds.  The results, published this week (9 December) in the journal Communications Earth and […]

    Read more of: Southern Hemisphere westerly winds likely to intensify as climate warms

    

20. Deep channels link ocean to Antarctic glacier

    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 […]

    Read more of: Deep channels link ocean to Antarctic glacier

    

21. Past evidence supports complete loss of Arctic sea-ice by 2035

    A new study, published this week in the journal Nature Climate Change, supports predictions that the Arctic could be free of sea ice by 2035. High temperatures in the Arctic […]

    Read more of: Past evidence supports complete loss of Arctic sea-ice by 2035

    

22. Traces of rainforests found in West Antarctica

    An international team of researchers has provided a new and unprecedented perspective on the climate history of Antarctica. From a sediment core collected from the seafloor in West Antarctica, they […]

    Read more of: Traces of rainforests found in West Antarctica

    

23. 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

    

24. Scientists head to Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier

    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 […]

    Read more of: Scientists head to Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier

    

25. Marine life recovery following the dinosaurs’ extinction

    A new study shows how marine life around Antarctica returned after the extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs. A team led by British Antarctic Survey studied just under 3000 […]

    Read more of: Marine life recovery following the dinosaurs’ extinction

    

26. Seals to act as sentinels of remote Antarctic glacier

    Scientists will use two species of seals to investigate a huge glacier in West Antarctica that is at risk of collapse. A team of over 20 polar scientists from the […]

    Read more of: Seals to act as sentinels of remote Antarctic glacier

    

27. International research expedition heads to West Antarctica

    An international team of scientists is travelling to the Amundsen Sea – one of the most vulnerable sectors of the Antarctic Ice Sheet – to answer vital scientific questions about […]

    Read more of: International research expedition heads to West Antarctica

    

28. Ice sheets growing from the base

    Fresh water freezing onto the bottom of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets leads to the formation of spectacular plume-shaped features, according to new research published today (7th November) in […]

    Read more of: Ice sheets growing from the base

    

29. Our experts comment on IPCC report

    Expert comment on IPCC Special Report

    Read more of: Our experts comment on IPCC report

    

30. Increases in winds weaken Southern Ocean carbon sink

    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 […]

    Read more of: Increases in winds weaken Southern Ocean carbon sink

    

31. State of the Polar Oceans report published

    Report published July 2018

    Read more of: State of the Polar Oceans report published

    

32. New maps show why glacier ice front suddenly shrank

    Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica is one of the fastest-flowing glaciers in Antarctica. Over the last eleven years, four major icebergs have broken off from its floating ice shelf. […]

    Read more of: New maps show why glacier ice front suddenly shrank

    

33. Major shift in marine life occurred 33 million years later

    A new study of marine fossils from Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand and South America reveals that one of the greatest changes to the evolution of life in our oceans occurred […]

    Read more of: Major shift in marine life occurred 33 million years later

    

34. Giant West Antarctic iceberg disintegrates

    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 […]

    Read more of: Giant West Antarctic iceberg disintegrates

    

35. ‘Scars’ left by icebergs record West Antarctic ice retreat

    Thousands of marks on the Antarctic seafloor, caused by icebergs which broke free from glaciers more than ten thousand years ago, show how part of the Antarctic Ice Sheet retreated […]

    Read more of: ‘Scars’ left by icebergs record West Antarctic ice retreat

    

36. FEATURED PAPER: Wind, warm water and ice-sheet loss

    Wind-driven incursions of warm, deep water forced the retreat of West Antarctic glaciers from the end of the last ice age until 7,500 years ago and since the 1940s. These […]

    Read more of: FEATURED PAPER: Wind, warm water and ice-sheet loss

    

37. Large iceberg breaks off Pine Island Glacier

    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 […]

    Read more of: Large iceberg breaks off Pine Island Glacier

    

38. Team discovers sub-glacial lake from over 20,000 years ago

    Researchers have provided new evidence that large sub-glacial lakes existed under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet during the last glacial period – around 20,000 years ago – a period when […]

    Read more of: Team discovers sub-glacial lake from over 20,000 years ago

    

39. New atlas provides highest-resolution imagery of the Polar Regions seafloor

    The most comprehensive and high-resolution atlas of the seafloor of both Polar Regions is presented this week (Tuesday 25 April) at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly (EGU) in Vienna.

    Read more of: New atlas provides highest-resolution imagery of the Polar Regions seafloor

    

40. Penguin colony repeatedly decimated by volcanic eruptions

    One of Antarctica’s biggest gentoo penguin colonies was repeatedly decimated by eruptions of the Deception Island volcano in recent millennia.

    Read more of: Penguin colony repeatedly decimated by volcanic eruptions

    

41. Ice cap once covered sub-antarctic island of South Georgia

    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 […]

    Read more of: Ice cap once covered sub-antarctic island of South Georgia

    

42. New study shows when Pine Island Glacier retreat began

    New study reveals when West Antarctica’s largest glacier started retreating Reporting this week (Wednesday 23 November) in the journal Nature an international team led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS) explains […]

    Read more of: New study shows when Pine Island Glacier retreat began

    

43. NEWS STORY: Oxygen depletion in the upper waters of the Southern Ocean during glacial periods

    Research published this week by an international team of scientists, including the British Antarctic Survey, provides new insights into how carbon dioxide changed in the oceans surrounding Antarctica during glacial […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: Oxygen depletion in the upper waters of the Southern Ocean during glacial periods

    

44. NEWS STORY: Lake drainage affected climate

    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 […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: Lake drainage affected climate

    

45. 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

    

46. 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

    

47. FEATURED PAPER: Ocean upwelling and increasing winds

    As the southern westerly winds drive the Antarctic circumpolar current around Antarctica, deep waters are forced up to the surface south of the polar front. Changes in the intensity with […]

    Read more of: FEATURED PAPER: Ocean upwelling and increasing winds

    

48. NEWS STORY: Predicting polar ice loss

    Most comprehensive ice loss model A new international study is the first to use a high-resolution, large-scale computer model to estimate how much ice the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: Predicting polar ice loss

    

49. PRESS RELEASE: Ice shelf at double risk

    New study shows Antarctic ice shelf is thinning from above and below A decade-long scientific debate about what’s causing the thinning of one of Antarctica’s largest ice shelves is settled […]

    Read more of: PRESS RELEASE: Ice shelf at double risk

    

50. NEWS STORY: IPCC climate report published today

    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 […]

    Read more of: NEWS STORY: IPCC climate report published today

    

51. 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 […]

    Read more of: PRESS RELEASE: Antarctica’s climate timeline

    

52. PRESS RELEASE: Ocean currents driving ice loss

    Warm ocean currents cause majority of ice loss from Antarctica Reporting this week (Thursday 26 April) in the journal Nature, an international team of scientists led by British Antarctic Survey […]

    Read more of: PRESS RELEASE: Ocean currents driving ice loss

    

53. PRESS RELEASE: Ozone hole anniversary

    25th Anniversary of the Discovery of Ozone Hole This week British Antarctic Survey (BAS) commemorates the 25th anniversary of one of its most dramatic scientific discoveries — the ozone hole. […]

    Read more of: PRESS RELEASE: Ozone hole anniversary

    

1. Blog: Hunting for microplastics in the high Arctic

   Huw Griffiths works in the Biodiversity Team at British Antarctic Survey. As he completes fieldwork in the Canadian Arctic with colleagues Cath Waller (University of Hull) and Steve Roberts (BAS), […]

   Read more of: Blog: Hunting for microplastics in the high Arctic

   

2. A new drill site in the Amundsen Sea

   Dr Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand is aboard the drill ship JOIDES Resolution as part of the 8-week International Ocean Discovery (IODP) Expedition 379. This is the final entry in a series of […]

   Read more of: A new drill site in the Amundsen Sea

   

3. “Core on deck” – Analysis begins

   Dr Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand tells us more about what happens once a sediment core has been recovered from the seafloor.

   Read more of: “Core on deck” – Analysis begins

   

4. “Core on deck” – a welcome announcement

   Dr Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand describes what it’s like drilling sediment cores on International Ocean Discovery (IODP) Expedition 379 in the Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica. Since the 31st of January we have […]

   Read more of: “Core on deck” – a welcome announcement

   

5. Another research expedition but this time quite different

   Dr Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand is a marine geologist at British Antarctic Survey (BAS). He is one of two UK scientists participating in International Ocean Discovery (IODP) Expedition 379 to the Amundsen […]

   Read more of: Another research expedition but this time quite different

   

6. SCIENCE AT SEA: Surveys and Sediments

   Matthew Chadwick is a member of the science team from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) currently aboard the RRS Discovery. Read on to gain an insight into what the team have […]

   Read more of: SCIENCE AT SEA: Surveys and Sediments

   

7. SCIENCE AT SEA: Setting off for the Scotia Sea

   Zoë Roseby is a member of the science team from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) currently aboard the RRS Discovery. Read on to discover what the team will be investigating in […]

   Read more of: SCIENCE AT SEA: Setting off for the Scotia Sea

   

8. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #11

   After our extended period of lie-up, I now have the slightly surreal pleasure of sitting at Rothera writing this, contemplating flying home tomorrow. We flew back from the field on […]

   Read more of: ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #11

   

9. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #9

   January the twenty sixth. My pre-deployment brief suggested that I should currently be partaking of all the luxuries Rothera Research Station has to offer. Enjoying that period of self-satisfaction which […]

   Read more of: ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #9

   

10. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #8

    Reflections from the ANiSEED team in Marie Byrd Land Field Guide Al Docherty recounts his most memorable day of the field season so far: “7am the alarm goes off. I look […]

    Read more of: ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #8

    

11. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #7

    Every person who works in Antarctica has a different experience and takes away different memories because our perception is shaped so much by our previous life experiences. The four of […]

    Read more of: ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #7

    

12. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #6

    The challenges of glacier travel The ANiSEED project field area lies between two of the most rapidly changing glaciers in Antarctica, the Smith and Kohler Glaciers. These have thinned more […]

    Read more of: ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #6

    

13. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #5

    Greetings from Marie Byrd Land! The waiting is over….we finally arrived at our field site on 11th December, after a 4 hour flight from Sky Blu one of BAS’s fuel […]

    Read more of: ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #5

    

14. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #4

    Geologist Jo Johnson waits patiently to go deep-field

    Read more of: ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #4

    

15. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #3

    Being a parent working in Antarctica

    Read more of: ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #3

    

16. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #2

    A long drive ahead….update from polar guides preparing for a geology project in remote Marie Byrd Land Whilst Steve Roberts and I are preparing to depart the UK for Rothera […]

    Read more of: ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #2

    

17. ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #1

    Science team goes deep field to Marie Byrd Land

    Read more of: ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #1

    

18. ARCTIC BLOG: It’s not all plain sailing at the top of the World

    A scientist’s view from Petermann Fjord, NW Greenland Three-and-a-bit days is what it takes to get from London to Thule air base in northwest Greenland. A quick flight to Copenhagen […]

    Read more of: ARCTIC BLOG: It’s not all plain sailing at the top of the World