25 April, 2017
New research describes for the first time the role that warm, dry winds play in influencing the behaviour of Antarctic ice shelves. Presenting this week at a European conference scientists …
Read more on New insight into what weakens Antarctic ice shelves
25 April, 2017
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 on New atlas provides highest-resolution imagery of the Polar Regions seafloor
11 April, 2017
One of Antarctica’s biggest gentoo penguin colonies was repeatedly decimated by eruptions of the Deception Island volcano in recent millennia.
Read more on Penguin colony repeatedly decimated by volcanic eruptions
7 April, 2017
Observations were made of clouds over the Antarctic Peninsula during the summer of 2010 and 2011 using one the BAS Twin Otter aircraft fitted with a range of atmospheric instruments. …
7 April, 2017
The unmanned submersible Boaty McBoatface was deployed in the Antarctic for the first time.
28 March, 2017
An international study involving scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has debunked the popular view that Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are in a much better environmental shape than the …
23 March, 2017
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 …
21 March, 2017 Katrin Linse
I recently spent four-and-a-bit weeks aboard the German blue water research ship RV Meteor along with Oli Hogg, my PhD student. We took part in the “Methane South Georgia” research …
Read more on Exploring South Georgia’s seafloor fauna with SQUID
17 March, 2017
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 on Ice cap once covered sub-antarctic island of South Georgia
9 March, 2017 Mark Belchier
In this blog Dr Mark Belchier from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) explains why a team of experts visits King Edward Point biennially to carry out a survey of the fish …
2 March, 2017
BAS Director features in photographic portraits of women in science
Read more on Raising Horizons: Portraits of women in science
1 March, 2017
A World Meteorological Organization (WMO) committee of experts announces this week (Wed 1 March) new records for the highest temperatures recorded in the Antarctic Region. The results are part of …
17 February, 2017
Local weather plays an important part in the retreat of the ice shelves in West Antarctica, according to new research published in the journal Nature Communications today (Friday 17 February). …
16 February, 2017
This year the extent of summer sea ice in the Antarctic is the lowest on record. The Antarctic sea ice minimum marks the day – typically towards end of February …
15 February, 2017
The longest and most comprehensive study to date of what penguins eat is published this month. The study, published in the journal Marine Biology, examines the diets of gentoo penguins …
8 February, 2017
A new study describing how shellfish create their shells in response to their environment is published today (Wednesday 8 February) in the journal Royal Society Open Science. The shells of …
7 February, 2017 Markus Frey
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.
1 February, 2017
Intensifying pressures from fisheries, habitat destruction, pollution and climate change are driving global declines in marine biodiversity. Despite widespread conservation efforts there is a growing argument that traditional approaches have …
30 January, 2017
An international team of researchers has discovered why fresh water, melted from Antarctic ice sheets, is often detected below the surface of the ocean, rather than rising to the top …
Read more on Scientists explain how meltwater reaches ocean depths
23 January, 2017 Holly Winton
A new blog post from atmospheric and glaciochemist Markus Frey who’s just arrived on the Polar plateau as part of the ISOL-ice research project. Read the team’s earlier post here. …
23 January, 2017
Three British Antarctic Survey (BAS) personnel, and one former member of staff, have been awarded the Polar Medal. The announcement was made last week (Friday 20 January 2017) in the …
20 January, 2017
The first molecular study of an organism able to survive intracellular freezing (freezing within its cells) is published this week by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), in collaboration with researchers from …
Read more on Study of roundworm that returns to life after freezing
16 January, 2017
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has decided not to winter at Halley VI Research Station for safety reasons. The station, which is located on the floating Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica, …
Read more on Halley Research Station Antarctica to close for winter
13 January, 2017
A new blog post from atmospheric and glaciochemist Markus Frey who’s just arrived on the Polar plateau as part of the ISOL-ice research project. Read the team’s earlier post here. …
13 January, 2017
Dr Mervyn Freeman, Senior Space Weather Researcher at British Antarctic Survey, has been awarded the prestigious Chapman Medal in Geophysics by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS). The medal recognises his …
Read more on Royal Astronomical Society honours BAS scientist
11 January, 2017
The UK Overseas Territory of South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands is this week launching an ambitious conservation effort to help protect the albatross. South Georgia is a globally important …
6 January, 2017
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 on Giant iceberg set to calve from Larsen C Ice Shelf
20 December, 2016 Holly Winton
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 …
6 December, 2016
British Antarctic Survey is getting ready to move its Halley VI Research Station 23 km across the ice. This is the first time that the station, which has a re-locatable …
24 November, 2016 Yvonne Firing
Follow ORCHESTRA project scientist Yvonne Firing’s amazing fieldwork blog from the Southern Ocean here. On the 2016/2017 Drake Passage cruise on the RRS James Clark Ross, we sail south from …
17 November, 2016
When divers laid a grid of 225 markers on the seabed it started one of the longest marine disturbance experiments anywhere in the world. Surveyed and replaced annually, they show …
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 …
14 November, 2016
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 …
11 November, 2016
A new study on how molluscs build their shells in the sub-zero waters of Antarctica is published today (Friday 11 November) in the journal Scientific Reports. A team of European …
28 October, 2016
HOBART, Australia: The world’s experts on Antarctic marine conservation have this week agreed to establish a marine protected area (MPA) in Antarctica’s Ross Sea. At the meeting of the Commission …
Read more on UK welcomes agreement on largest Marine Protected Area
27 October, 2016
Shallow-water ecosystems are a major carbon sink, as many species living on the seafloor use carbon to build their tissue and shells. This carbon can become part of seafloor sediment …
Read more on Iceberg scouring disturbs carbon-fixing seafloor ecosystems
18 October, 2016
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 …
18 October, 2016
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 …
8 October, 2016
Data as art captivates a London audience
Read more on Ancient ice inspires Royal College of Art glass artist
22 September, 2016
This paper investigates the impact that the four principal patterns of Southern Hemisphere (SH) atmospheric circulation variability have on Antarctic surface air temperature (SAT): 1) the southern baroclinic annular mode …
Read more on FEATURED PAPER: Atmospheric variability & surface temperatures
Sampling clean air
Equipment for sampling and observing the seafloor
Taking time to relax
Technology and equipment for biological and geophysical studies
Interactions of ocean and atmosphere
Discovering ocean life
Deploying scientific equipment into the ocean
Innovative solutions to meet the changing needs of science
Exploring the seafloor
Exploring the ocean
Subsea exploration
28 July, 2016 Melody Clark
Dr Melody Clark gets excited about sea snails as part of an innovative research programme to investigate how Antarctica’s animals will adapt to life in a warmer world. Penguins or …
25 July, 2016
A new study of the movements of sub-Antarctic albatrosses tracked from two remote islands some 5,000 km apart, shows that although the birds from each breeding site take similar routes around the Southern Ocean, they forage in different areas for the majority of the time. The results are published this month in the Nature journal Scientific Reports.
Read more on Albatrosses use different regions when on migration
The RRS Sir David Attenborough, commissioned by NERC, built by Cammell Laird for operation by British Antarctic Survey, is one of the most advanced polar research vessels in the world.
27 June, 2016
New technologies and techniques used in a scientific study of the shells of oysters, mussels, clams and scallops reveal clues about how these commercially valuable species may fare in a changing world, and how discarded shells from the aquaculture industry could benefit the environment.
13 June, 2016
Energetic electrons are an important space weather hazard. In this paper we apply extreme value analysis to 16 years of operational satellite data from the NOAA Polar Operational Environmental Satellites …
13 June, 2016
This paper shows that, contrary to long-held ideas, the intensity of competition (density of direct, physical spatial contests) differs little with latitude. However, the severity of competition (contests with a …
Research teams use phase-sensitive radars for determining ice shelf basal melt rates. Data is used to enhance climate models. The ApRES instruments yield time series of ice shelf thickness change …
26 May, 2016
A study of more than 6,000 marine fossils from the Antarctic shows that the mass extinction event that killed the dinosaurs was sudden and just as deadly to life in the polar regions.
Read more on Antarctic fossils show creatures wiped out by asteroid
19 May, 2016
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 on FEATURED PAPER: Improved modelling of ice-ocean processes
7 April, 2016
16 PhD students and Early Career Researchers have a unique opportunity to gain practical skills for working safely and effectively in the polar regions.
Read more on On the ice opportunity for PhD students and Early Career Researchers
31 March, 2016 Susie Grant
The ship’s science labs have all been packed up and cleaned, kit boxes stowed in the container, cargo paperwork finished and cruise reports written. The SO-AntEco team is ready to …
31 March, 2016
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 …
25 March, 2016 Hilary Blagbrough
Oh look it’s snowing/raining and getting dark… it must be time for the Night Shift. I’m Hilary, the night shift leader on the SO-AntEco scientific cruise to the South Orkney …
23 March, 2016 Susie Grant
Last week was UK Science Week, and we asked schools and anyone else who had burning questions about the Antarctic deep sea to send them to us here on the …
Read more on SHIP BLOG: Science Week questions answered from the Southern Ocean
17 March, 2016
The Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) is a climatological low pressure system located over the southern Pacific Ocean, off the coast of West Antarctica. Atmospheric variability in this region is larger …
Read more on FEATURED PAPER: Circulation changes off West Antarctica
19 February, 2016 Jamie Coleman
Life on the sub Antarctic Island of South Georgia working for BAS is an amazing experience. South Georgia has the perfect combination of spectacular landscape and incredible wildlife. We have millions …
Read more on Life on the sub Antarctic island of South Georgia
17 February, 2016
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 …
15 February, 2016 Huw Griffiths
As the days count down towards departure the dreams about forgetting my passport at the airport become more frequent. My office in Cambridge is a long way from the Antarctic …
12 February, 2016 Joanne Johnson
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 …
8 February, 2016 Ali Massey
I am sat gazing with child-like wonder through my office window at the huge snow-flakes falling outside and, despite the fact that the snowstorm is obscuring my usual spectacular view …
Read more on ANTARCTIC BLOG: meet Ali – Rothera’s lab manager
29 January, 2016 Iain Rudkin
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 …
27 January, 2016 Joanne Johnson
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 …
27 January, 2016 Joanne Johnson
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 …
26 January, 2016
This paper provides new evidence and proposes a new dynamical mechanism for the teleconnection between the two largest jet streams in the northern winter stratosphere – the tropical wind system …
23 January, 2016
Scientists now have a new tool to investigate the deep structure of the least understood continent on Earth
11 January, 2016 Joanne Johnson
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 …
6 January, 2016 Tom Jordan
The altimeter in the front of the Twin Otter aircraft is showing 8500 ft as we cruise due south from Rothera research station for the next leg in our PolarGAP …
5 January, 2016 Joanne Johnson
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 …
21 December, 2015
New research shows decline in population and breeding success of Antarctic seabird A fifty year study of the charismatic seabird, the southern giant petrel, on the Antarctic island of Signy …
16 December, 2015
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 …
12 December, 2015 Joanne Johnson
Geologist Jo Johnson waits patiently to go deep-field
19 November, 2015 Joanne Johnson
Being a parent working in Antarctica
19 November, 2015
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 …
12 November, 2015 Joanne Johnson
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 …
Discover the UK’s national capability to support science from the air
4 November, 2015
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 on PRESS RELEASE: West Antarctica snow accumulation
27 October, 2015 Sian Tarrant
Leopard seal peak The penultimate month of the lep round has been by far the most exciting. September has been the busiest month yet for leopard seal sightings. It has …
Read more on ANTARCTIC BLOG: Busy month for leopard seal sightings!
13 October, 2015
Recent research in polar and non-polar regions showed that sun-lit snow packs are important chemical reactors and reservoirs, which strongly influence air quality of the lower atmosphere and likely also …
7 October, 2015 Joanne Johnson
Science team goes deep field to Marie Byrd Land
6 October, 2015
NERC funds PhD training in robotics and autonomous systems
9 September, 2015
Researchers from the Arctic Research Programme, managed at British Antarctic Survey (BAS), have shown for the first time that phytoplankton (plant life) in remote ocean regions can contribute to rare …
Read more on NEWS STORY: Ocean life triggers ice formation in clouds
4 September, 2015
The southern sea lion population of the Falkland Islands witnessed a dramatic decline during the last century with numbers falling by 95 per cent between the 1930s and 1960s. It …
24 August, 2015 Keith Nicholls
Standing anywhere on Petermann ice shelf, the overriding sense you get is the proximity of water. A lot of water. Standing water, ranging from small ponds, up to lakes hundreds …
Read more on ARCTIC BLOG: Hot water drilling on Petermann Glacier
21 August, 2015 Kelly Hogan
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 on ARCTIC BLOG: It’s not all plain sailing at the top of the World
18 August, 2015
Bird tracking technology reveals future climate may affect seabird feeding behaviour A two year study of shags on the Isle of May National Nature Reserve in Scotland reveals that when …
Read more on NEWS STORY: Bird tracking aids seabird research
12 August, 2015
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 on FEATURED PAPER: Glacier response to ice shelf collapse