National Capability for Global Challenges
Polar Expertise – Supporting Development
National capability
We deliver a portfolio of ‘National Capability Science’ activities that provide the backbone for UK polar science. Our programmes of Sustained Observation focus on crucial Earth System indicators in Antarctica. These are vital to the UK and global scientific effort to understand our changing world. Capabilities (instruments, facilities and expertise), unique to BAS, are available to the UK science community to ensure Britain’s success in the field of polar science.
OFIC
Antarctic ice-loss research capability
Rothera Time Series
Earth System indicators in Antarctica
Scotia Sea open-ocean biological laboratories
Sustained ocean observing programme
Space Weather Observatory
Assessing Space Weather impacts
Ice core aquisition and analysis
UK national facility and capability
Hot Water Drilling
Accessing subglacial environments
Airborne Geophysics
Enabling ice observation programmes
Airborne Meteorology
Airborne instrument capability
Work with us
Essential information for researchers
Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme
Collaboration opportunities
Stations, ship and aircraft
To carry out our work, British Antarctic Survey operates a number of sites and facilities.
Our science and operational activities contribute to the UK’s National Capability through the the provision and management of large research infrastructure, services and facilities, data, national-good services and long-term science. These essential national assets are supported by the UK Government and NERC. As the focal point for UK polar science our aims are to:
- Sustain a UK national capability that delivers scientific understanding of environmental processes over large time and space scales, supports world-leading environmental science, and meets national needs
- Enable the most ambitious Earth-system science by facilitating long-term, global-scale programmes that integrate research across disciplines
- Reduce the long-term cost of our large research facilities and invest in new technologies that make far-reaching environmental research and observation more cost-effective
- Ensure that our research centre thrives as vibrant, innovative, sustainable organisation that attracts and retains the best scientists
Scientific community access to Antarctic and Arctic infrastructure is coordinated and managed by BAS through the Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme and opportunities for polar fieldwork for NERC-funded scientists.