Science Archives - Page 5 of 6 - British Antarctic Survey

Raising Horizons: Portraits of women in science

2 March, 2017

BAS Director features in photographic portraits of women in science

Signy Island is hottest place in the Antarctic

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 …

Local weather plays part in retreat of glacier

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). …

Antarctic sea ice extent lowest on record

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 …

New study reveals what penguins eat

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 …

New study on how shellfish create their shells

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 …

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Working on the Polar Plateau

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.

Divers inspect epibenthic communities on Anchorage wall, near Rothera Research Station

FEATURED PAPER: Ecosystem Services

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 …

Scientists explain how meltwater reaches ocean depths

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 …

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Arriving at the Polar plateau

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. …

BAS staff awarded the Polar Medal

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 …

Study of roundworm that returns to life after freezing

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 …

Halley Research Station Antarctica to close for winter

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, …

BLOG: Arriving at the Polar plateau

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. …

Royal Astronomical Society honours BAS scientist

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 …

Black-browed Albatross colony (Thalassarche melanophrys) at Colony Q1 on Bird Island. Black-browed Albatrosses feed on Krill, fish and squid and tend to forage around the edge of the continental shelf of South Georgia.

Conservation plans to protect the albatross

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 …

A bird standing on a snow board on a body of water.

Giant iceberg set to calve from Larsen C Ice Shelf

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 …

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Journey to the Polar plateau

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 …

Relocation of Halley Research Station

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 …

BAS Science Summaries 2016/17

2 December, 2016

Drake Passage Blog

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 …

FEATURED PAPER: Icebergs and blue carbon

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 …

Mountains and glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula from the air.

FEATURED PAPER: Modelling Gondwana break-up

17 November, 2016

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

Quest begins for oldest ice on Earth

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 …

A flock of seagulls are standing in the snow

New study puts shells under spotlight

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 …

Adelie penguins on Rothera Point, Adelaide Island, Antarctica.

UK welcomes agreement on largest Marine Protected Area

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 …

Iceberg scouring disturbs carbon-fixing seafloor ecosystems

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 …

Sea smoke early morning off the Ronne Ice Shelf

FEATURED PAPER: Sea-ice reduction

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 …

The southernmost front of Pine Island Glacier

FEATURED PAPER: Tidal controls on ice streams

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 …

A group of people that are standing in the dark.

Ancient ice inspires Royal College of Art glass artist

8 October, 2016

Data as art captivates a London audience

Sledge Romeo (field station), Geology Project. Camp 9, Mt Tricorn, with a sun halo

FEATURED PAPER: Atmospheric variability & surface temperatures

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 …

Air and aerosol sampling facilities

Sampling clean air

Net, trawl and sledge system capability

Equipment for sampling and observing the seafloor

Recreational facilities

Taking time to relax

Acoustic instruments

Technology and equipment for biological and geophysical studies

Oceanographic facilities

Interactions of ocean and atmosphere

Biological sampling gear

Discovering ocean life

Scientific winches

Deploying scientific equipment into the ocean

Labs and workshops

Innovative solutions to meet the changing needs of science

Geology and geophysical facilities

Exploring the seafloor

Marine robotics capability

Exploring the ocean

Scientific moon pool

Subsea exploration

SCIENCE BLOG:Penguin or sea lemon?

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 …

Albatrosses use different regions when on migration

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.

RRS Sir David Attenborough

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.

Shellfish study published this month

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.

FEATURED PAPER: Energetic Electron Hazard

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 …

FEATURED PAPER: Battling bryozoans

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 …

Instrument: Phase-sensitive radar (ApRES)

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 …

Antarctic fossils show creatures wiped out by asteroid

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.

FEATURED PAPER: Improved modelling of ice-ocean processes

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 …

A sunset over a body of water with a mountain in the background.

On the ice opportunity for PhD students and Early Career Researchers

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.

Angelika brandt et al. standing around a table.

SHIP BLOG: Heading for home

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 …

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

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 …

A group of people working on a large boat

SHIP BLOG: Rhythm of the night

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 …

A group of people standing in front of a crowd posing for the camera.

SHIP BLOG: Science Week questions answered from the Southern Ocean

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 …

Lenticular clouds over James Ross Island, Antarctic Peninsula.

FEATURED PAPER: Circulation changes off West Antarctica

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 …

Life on the sub Antarctic island of South Georgia

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 …

NEWS STORY: Lake drainage affected climate

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 …

ANTARCTIC BLOG: preparation is everything

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 …

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #11

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 …

Adelaide Island from Rothera and clouds relectd in a calm sea

ANTARCTIC BLOG: meet Ali – Rothera’s lab manager

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 …

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #9

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 …

A man riding a snowboard down a snow covered slope.

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #8

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 …

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

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #7

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 …

FEATURED PAPER: Polar Vortex teleconnection

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 …

NEWS STORY: New gravity dataset

23 January, 2016

Scientists now have a new tool to investigate the deep structure of the least understood continent on Earth

A person riding a snowboard down a snow covered slope.

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #6

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 …

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Science from the air #2

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 …

A group of clouds in the sky over a snow covered mountain.

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #5

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 …

PRESS RELEASE: Antarctic seabird in decline

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 …

footprints in the snow alongside Reptile Ridge

FEATURED PAPER: Recent snowfall increase

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 …

The Dash 7 flying over Ryder Bay before coming into land at Rothera Research Station.

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #4

12 December, 2015 Joanne Johnson

Geologist Jo Johnson waits patiently to go deep-field

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #3

19 November, 2015 Joanne Johnson

Being a parent working in Antarctica

Rafted sea ice and pressure ridges in the Weddell Sea Sea, Antarctica

FEATURED PAPER: Improving climate predictions

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 …

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #2

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 …

Airborne science and technology

Discover the UK’s national capability to support science from the air

PRESS RELEASE: West Antarctica snow accumulation

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 …

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Busy month for leopard seal sightings!

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 …

Field party campsite, Subglacial Lake Ellsworth during strong winds

FEATURED PAPER: Improving air quality models

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 …

ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #1

7 October, 2015 Joanne Johnson

Science team goes deep field to Marie Byrd Land

NEWS STORY: New Centre for Doctoral Training

6 October, 2015

NERC funds PhD training in robotics and autonomous systems

A close up of a hand with a blue cloudy sky.

NEWS STORY: World Ozone Day 2015

15 September, 2015

World Ozone Day 2015

A group of clouds in the sky over a body of water.

NEWS STORY: Ocean life triggers ice formation in clouds

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 …

NEWS STORY: Explaining sea lion decline

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 …

A boat sitting on top of a snow covered mountain.

ARCTIC BLOG: Hot water drilling on Petermann Glacier

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 …

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

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 …

NEWS STORY: Bird tracking aids seabird research

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 …

Rifting in Larsen B Ice Shelf before its breakup in 2001

FEATURED PAPER: Glacier response to ice shelf collapse

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 …

Research outputs