Antarctic clouds
1 January, 2010 by Thomas Lachlan-Cope
Sensitivity studies with global climate models show that, by their influence on the radiation balance, Antarctic clouds play a major role in the climate system, both directly at high southern…Our publications
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Experimental growth pattern calibration of Antarctic scallop shells (Adamussium colbecki, Smith 1902) to provide a biogenic archive of high-resolution records of environmental and climatic changes
1 January, 2010
To determine the potential of Antarctic bivalve shells as biomonitors for environmental and climatic variations in polar marine areas, we developed a growth model for juvenile Adamussium colbecki Smith, 1902…Improving constraints on paleo-ice sheets in the Amundsen Sea Embayment
1 January, 2010 by Robert Larter
Amundsen Sea Embayment: Tectonic and Climatic Evolution; Granada, Spain, 9 September 2009; Geoscientists working on the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) of West Antarctica met at a workshop during the First…Read more on Improving constraints on paleo-ice sheets in the Amundsen Sea Embayment
Trends in the land and ocean carbon uptake
1 January, 2010
Only about 45% of the total CO2 emitted from fossil fuel burning and land use change stayed in the atmosphere on average during the past few decades. The remaining CO2…An International Carbon Office to assist policy-based science
1 January, 2010
The international political commitment to limit global warming to 2 °C urgently requires the stabilisation of radiative forcing from carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere.…Read more on An International Carbon Office to assist policy-based science
Impact of climate change and variability on the global oceanic sink of CO2
1 January, 2010
About one quarter of the CO2 emitted to the atmosphere by human activities is absorbed annually by the ocean. All the processes that influence the oceanic uptake of CO2 are…Read more on Impact of climate change and variability on the global oceanic sink of CO2
Growth and mass wasting of volcanic centers in the northern South Sandwich arc, South Atlantic, revealed by new multibeam mapping
1 January, 2010 by Alexander Tate, Philip Leat
New multibeam (swath) bathymetric sonar data acquired using an EM120 system on the RRS James Clark Ross, supplemented by sub-bottom profiling, reveals the underwater morphology of a not, vert, similar…A numerical study of glacier advance over deforming till
1 January, 2010 by Hilmar Gudmundsson
The advance of a glacier over a deforming sediment layer is analysed numerically. We treat this problem as a contact problem involving two slowly-deforming viscous bodies. The surface evolution of…Read more on A numerical study of glacier advance over deforming till
Gilthead sea bream (Sparus auratus) and European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) expressed sequence tags: Characterization, tissue-specific expression and gene markers
1 January, 2010 by Melody Clark
The gilthead sea bream. Sparus auratus, and the European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, are two of the most important marine species cultivated in Southern Europe. This study aimed at increasing…Earth system sensitivity inferred from Pliocene modelling and data
1 January, 2010
Quantifying the equilibrium response of global temperatures to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations is one of the cornerstones of climate research. Components of the Earth's climate system that…Read more on Earth system sensitivity inferred from Pliocene modelling and data
CO2-driven ocean circulation changes as an amplifier of Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum hydrate destabilization
1 January, 2010
Changes in ocean circulation have been proposed as a trigger mechanism for the large coupled climate and carbon cycle perturbations at the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, ca. 55 Ma). An…Mitochondrial plasticity in brachiopod (Liothyrella spp.) smooth adductor muscle as a result of season and latitude
1 January, 2010 by Lloyd Peck, Simon Morley
Habitat temperature and mitochondrial volume density (Vv(mt,mf)) are negatively correlated in fishes, while seasonal acclimatization may increase Vv(mt,mf) or the surface density of the mitochondrial cristae (Sv(im,mt)). The effect of…Ultrastructure of pedal muscle as a function of temperature in nacellid limpets
1 January, 2010 by Lloyd Peck, Simon Morley
Temperature and mitochondrial plasticity are well studied in fishes, but little is known about this relationship in invertebrates. The effects of habitat temperature on mitochondrial ultrastructure were examined in three…Read more on Ultrastructure of pedal muscle as a function of temperature in nacellid limpets
Björnnutane and Sembberget basalt lavas and the geochemical provinciality of Karoo magmatism in western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica
1 January, 2010 by Philip Leat
Geochemical provinciality of the Karoo continental flood basalt (CFB) province is complicated by the great diversity of magma types. Our geochemical and Nd and Sr isotopic data indicate derivation of…Enhancement factors for grounded ice and ice shelves inferred from an anisotropic ice-flow model
1 January, 2010
Polar ice is known to be one of the most anisotropic natural materials. For a given fabric the polycrystal viscous response is strongly dependent on the actual state of stress…Free as a bird? Activity patterns of albatrosses during the nonbreeding period
1 January, 2010 by Janet Silk, Richard Phillips, Vsevolod Afanasyev
This is the first comprehensive study of at-sea activity patterns of albatrosses during the nonbreeding period, based on data from combination geolocator–immersion loggers deployed on the wandering albatross Diomedea exulans,…Read more on Free as a bird? Activity patterns of albatrosses during the nonbreeding period
Observed 20th century desert dust variability: impact on climate and biogeochemistry
1 January, 2010 by Liz Thomas
Desert dust perturbs climate by directly and indirectly interacting with incoming solar and outgoing long wave radiation, thereby changing precipitation and temperature, in addition to modifying ocean and land biogeochemistry.…Read more on Observed 20th century desert dust variability: impact on climate and biogeochemistry
Sensitivity of global ocean biogeochemical dynamics to ecosystem structure in a future climate
1 January, 2010
Terrestrial and oceanic ecosystem components of the Earth System models (ESMs) are key to predict the future behavior of the global carbon cycle. Ocean ecosystem models represent low complexity compared…The Annandagstoppane granite, East Antarctica: evidence for Archaean intracrustal recycling in the Kaapvaal-Grunehogna Craton from zircon O and Hf isotopes
1 January, 2010 by Philip Leat
The Grunehogna Craton (GC, East Antarctica) is interpreted as part of the Archaean Kaapvaal Craton of southern Africa prior to Gondwana breakup. The basement of the GC is exposed only…An abrupt change of Antarctic moisture origin at the end of Termination II
1 January, 2010 by Gareth Marshall
The deuterium excess of polar ice cores documents past changes in evaporation conditions and moisture origin. New data obtained from the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica Dome C…Read more on An abrupt change of Antarctic moisture origin at the end of Termination II
EPICA Dome C record of glacial and interglacial intensities
1 January, 2010
Climate models show strong links between Antarctic and global temperature both in future and in glacial climate simulations. Past Antarctic temperatures can be estimated from measurements of water stable isotopes…Read more on EPICA Dome C record of glacial and interglacial intensities
What shapes edaphic communities in mineral and ornithogenic soils of Cierva Point, Antarctic Peninsula?
1 January, 2010 by Peter Convey
Three mineral soil and four ornithogenic soil sites were sampled during summer 2006 at Cierva Point (Antarctic Peninsula) to study their bacterial, microalgal and faunal communities in relation to abiotic…Detrital zircon, detrital titanite and igneous clast U-Pb geochronology and basement-cover relationships of the Colonsay Group, SW Scotland: Laurentian provenance and correlation with the Neoproterozoic Dalradian Supergroup
1 January, 2010
A multidisciplinary provenance study, including in situ U-Pb dating of detrital titanite, was undertaken on the enigmatic low-grade metasediments of the Colonsay Group, SW Scotland to determine their source and…A Laurentian provenance for the Dalradian rocks of north Mayo, Ireland, and evidence for an original basement-cover contact with the underlying Annagh Gneiss Complex
1 January, 2010
Metasediments of the early Dalradian Grampian Group (Erris Group) and probable equivalents (Inishkea Division) structurally overlie Palaeoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic Annagh Gneiss Complex orthogneisses in NW Mayo, Ireland. Sm-Nd isotopic data…Dalradian Grampian Group affinity for the Bowmore Sandstone Group, Islay, SW Scotland
1 January, 2010
Whole-rock Sm-Nd model ages of 1601 Ma (lower Laggan Formation) and 1674 Ma (upper Blackrock Formation) suggest a late Palaeoproterozoic, early Mesoproterozoic source for the rnetasediments of the Bowmore Sandstone…Read more on Dalradian Grampian Group affinity for the Bowmore Sandstone Group, Islay, SW Scotland
Temporal and spatial metabolic rate variation in the Antarctic springtail Gomphiocephalus hodgsoni
1 January, 2010 by Peter Convey
Spatial and temporal environmental variation in terrestrial Antarctic ecosystems are known to impact species strongly at a local scale, but the ways in which organisms respond (e.g. physiologically, behaviourally) to…Metabolic rate, genetic and microclimate variation among springtail populations from sub-Antarctic Marion Island
1 January, 2010 by Peter Convey
Measurement of metabolic rates (made at 10A degrees C) of individuals of the springtail Cryptopygus antarcticus travei from six geographically distinct populations on sub-Antarctic Marion Island were combined with mitochondrial…Contrasting phylogeographical patterns for springtails reflect different evolutionary histories between the Antarctic Peninsula and continental Antarctica
1 January, 2010 by Peter Convey
We examined the genetic structure among populations and regions for the springtails Cryptopygus antarcticus antarcticus and Gomphiocephalus hodgsoni (Collembola) to identify potential historical refugia and subsequent colonization routes, and to…Echiniscus corrugicaudatus (Heterotardigrada; Echiniscidae) a new species from Ellsworth Land, Antarctica
1 January, 2010 by Sandra McInnes, Sandra McInnes
Echiniscus corrugicaudatus sp. nov., (Heterotardigrada; Echiniscidae) was found in the limited vegetation from the inland nunataks of Ellsworth Land, West Antarctica. The tardigrade fauna of this a rarely explored region…Changes in the freshwater composition of the upper ocean west of the Antarctic Peninsula during the first decade of the 21st century
1 January, 2010 by Andrew Clarke, Deb Shoosmith, Terri Souster, Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith, Terri Souster
In recent decades, the west Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) has warmed more rapidly than anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere. Associated with this, there has been a marked shortening of the…Temperature and precipitation history of the Arctic
1 January, 2010 by Eric Wolff
As the planet cooled from peak warmth in the early Cenozoic, extensive Northern Hemisphere ice sheets developed by 2.6 Ma ago, leading to changes in the circulation of both the…Read more on Temperature and precipitation history of the Arctic
Initial results from light level geolocator trials on Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres reveal unexpected migration route
1 January, 2010 by Vsevolod Afanasyev
With the development of archival light level geolocators weighing only 1 g, their deployment on medium size waders is now possible. Trials showed that attachment via leg flag rather than…Calibrating an imaging riometer: determination of the true beam azimuth angle position
1 January, 2010 by Tracy Moffat-Griffin
An imaging riometer uses the absorption of cosmic radio noise as a means of measuring electron density enhancements in the D region of the ionosphere. It employs a ground-based phased…Read more on Calibrating an imaging riometer: determination of the true beam azimuth angle position
Measurements of nitrogen oxides from Hudson Bay: Implications for NOx release from snow and ice covered surfaces
1 January, 2010 by Howard Roscoe
Measurements of NO and NO2 were made at a surface site (55.28 degrees N, 77.77 degrees W) near Kuujjuarapik, Canada during February and March 2008. NOx mixing ratios ranged from…Depth gradients in shell morphology correlate with thermal limits for activity and ice disturbance in Antarctic limpets
1 January, 2010 by Lloyd Peck, Melody Clark, Simon Morley
To fully understand how species distributions will respond to changing environments it is essential to understand the mechanisms underlying variation in animal performance and the relative importance of different ecological…Perfluorinated compounds in the Antarctic region: Ocean circulation provides prolonged protection from distant sources
1 January, 2010 by Iain Staniland
In order to investigate the extent to which Perfluorinated Contaminants (PFCs) have permeated the Southern Ocean food web to date, a range of Antarctic, sub-Antarctic and Antarctic-migratory biota were analysed…Bet-hedging response to environmental variability, an intraspecific comparison
1 January, 2010 by Jaume Forcada
A major challenge in ecology is to understand the impact of increased environmental variability on populations and ecosystems. To maximize their fitness in a variable environment, life history theory states…Read more on Bet-hedging response to environmental variability, an intraspecific comparison
The biology and ecology of the liverwort Cephaloziella varians in Antarctica
1 January, 2010 by Kevin Newsham
The biology and ecology of Cephaloziella varians, the most widespread and abundant liverwort in Antarctica, are reviewed. A description of the species is given, together with information on its geographical…Read more on The biology and ecology of the liverwort Cephaloziella varians in Antarctica
Sebacinales are associates of the leafy liverwort Lophozia excisa in the southern maritime Antarctic
1 January, 2010 by Kevin Newsham
The leafy liverwort Lophozia excisa, which is colonised by basidiomycete fungi in other biomes and which evidence suggests may be colonised by mycorrhizal fungi in Antarctica, was sampled from L,onie…Minimal influence of water and nutrient content on the bacterial community composition of a maritime Antarctic soil
1 January, 2010 by David Pearce, Kevin Newsham
Bacterial community composition was determined by culture-independent PCR-based methods in two soils differing markedly in their water, C, N and P contents sampled from Mars Oasis on Alexander Island, western…Comment on Shaw J., Pugin, A. and Young, R. (2008): “A meltwater origin for Antarctic shelf bedforms with special attention to megalineations”, Geomorphology 102, 364-375
1 January, 2010 by Ed King, Richard Hindmarsh, Robert Larter, Richard Hindmarsh
The submarine glacial geomorphology and sedimentology of the cross-shelf troughs and the adjacent continental slope around the Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica have been the focus of a series of…Seasonal physiology and ecology of Antarctic marine benthos predators and scavengers
1 January, 2010 by David Barnes, Lloyd Peck, Simon Morley
Pronounced seasonality in photoperiod and phytoplankton availability drives key physiological processes in many Antarctic primary consumers. To test the hypothesis that carnivores would be less markedly affected by environmental seasonality…Read more on Seasonal physiology and ecology of Antarctic marine benthos predators and scavengers
A three-dimensional calving model: numerical experiments on Johnsons Glacier, Livingston Island, Antarctica
1 January, 2010 by Carlos Martin Garcia
Calving from tidewater glaciers and ice shelves accounts for around half the mass loss from both polar ice sheets, yet the process is not well represented in prognostic models of…Seals map bathymetry of the Antarctic continental shelf
1 January, 2010 by Adrian Jenkins, Deb Shoosmith
We demonstrate the first use of marine mammal dive-depth data to improve maps of bathymetry in poorly sampled regions of the continental shelf. A group of 57 instrumented elephant seals…Read more on Seals map bathymetry of the Antarctic continental shelf
Biodiversity of air-borne microorganisms at Halley station Antarctica
1 January, 2010 by Anna Jones, David Pearce, Kevin Hughes, Thomas Lachlan-Cope
A study of air-borne microbial biodiversity over an isolated scientific research station on an ice-shelf in continental Antarctica was undertaken to establish the potential source of microbial colonists. The study…Read more on Biodiversity of air-borne microorganisms at Halley station Antarctica
Bayesian analysis of rapid climate change during the last glacial using Greenland δ18O data
1 January, 2010 by Daniel Peavoy
We present statistical methods to determine climate regimes for the last glacial period using three temperature proxy records from Greenland: measurements of δ18O from the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2…Negative feedback in the cold: ice retreat produces new carbon sinks in Antarctica
1 January, 2010 by Andrew Clarke, Andrew Fleming, David Barnes, Lloyd Peck
Feedbacks on climate change so far identified are predominantly positive, enhancing the rate of change. Loss of sea-ice, increase in desert areas, water vapour increase, loss of tropical rain forest…Read more on Negative feedback in the cold: ice retreat produces new carbon sinks in Antarctica
Variation in size of living articulated brachiopods with latitude and depth
1 January, 2010 by Lloyd Peck
Geographical variations in animal characters are one of the main subjects for study in macroecology. Variation with latitude has received special interest. Articulated brachiopods are possibly the commonest macrofossil with…Read more on Variation in size of living articulated brachiopods with latitude and depth
Poor acclimation capacities in Antarctic marine ectotherms
1 January, 2010 by Lloyd Peck, Melody Clark, Simon Morley
Animals can respond to temperature change by the following means: using physiological flexibility (including acclimation); or adapting; or migrating, with acclimation proposed as the major mechanism dictating prospects for survival…Read more on Poor acclimation capacities in Antarctic marine ectotherms
Shifting ocean carbonate chemistry during the Eocene-Oligocene climate transition: implications for deep ocean Mg/Ca paleothermometry
1 January, 2010 by Victoria Peck
To date, no conclusive evidence has been identified for intermediate or deep water cooling associated with the > 1 parts per thousand benthic delta O-18 increase at the Eocene-Oligocene transition…Eradications of invasive mammals from islands: why, where, how and what next?
1 January, 2010 by Richard Phillips
The United Nations, under the auspices of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has proclaimed 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. This has led to numerous initiatives to highlight…Read more on Eradications of invasive mammals from islands: why, where, how and what next?
Ingestion of fishing gear and entanglements of seabirds: monitoring and implications for management
1 January, 2010 by Richard Phillips
Fisheries are increasingly adopting ecosystem approaches to better manage impacts on non-target species. Although deliberate dumping of plastics at sea is banned, not all fisheries legislation prohibits discarding of gear…Gill transcriptome response to changes in environmental calcium in the green spotted puffer fish
1 January, 2010 by Michael Thorne
Background Calcium ion is tightly regulated in body fluids and for euryhaline fish, which are exposed to rapid changes in environmental [Ca2+], homeostasis is especially challenging. The gill is the…History of sea ice in the Arctic
1 January, 2010 by Eric Wolff
Arctic sea-ice extent and volume are declining rapidly. Several studies project that the Arctic Ocean may become seasonally ice-free by the year 2040 or even earlier. Putting this into perspective…Deep-sea demersal fish species richness in the Porcupine Seabight, NE Atlantic Ocean: global and regional patterns
1 January, 2010 by Martin Collins
The ichthyofauna of ocean margin regions is characterised by a succession of different species occurring at different depths. This study was aimed at determining whether the resultant pattern of species…Seasonal variation in oceanographic habitat and behaviour of white-chinned petrels (Procellaria aequinoctialis) from Kerguelen Island
1 January, 2010 by Richard Phillips
Marine environments experience seasonal variation in physical and biological parameters, with consequent changes in predator distributions. During the breeding period, proximity to suitable feeding sites is essential for central place…A new fossil Adamussium (Bivalvia: Pectinidae) from Antarctica
1 January, 2010 by Rowan Whittle
Adamussium jonkersi sp. nov. is described from the Late Oligocene Destruction Bay Formation, Wrona Buttress area, King George Island (South Shetlands), West Antarctica. The unit, characterized by volcanic sandstone, is…Read more on A new fossil Adamussium (Bivalvia: Pectinidae) from Antarctica
The eradication of feral cats from Ascension Island and its subsequent recolonization by seabirds
1 January, 2010 by Norman Ratcliffe
The introduction of mammal predators to islands often results in rapid declines in the number and range of seabirds. On Ascension Island the introduction of cats in 1815 resulted in…Central place foraging by breeding Cook’s petrel Pterodroma cookii: foraging duration reflects range, diet and chick meal mass
1 January, 2010 by Richard Phillips
Pelagic seabirds are central place foragers during breeding and variation in foraging trip duration and range reflect differences in diet and chick provisioning, through the exploitation of divergent habitats of…Krill population dynamics at South Georgia: implications for ecosystem-based fisheries management
1 January, 2010 by Eugene Murphy, Jonathan Watkins, Peter Enderlein, Philip Trathan, Sophie Fielding
The South Georgia region supports a large biomass of krill that is subject to high inter-annual variability. The apparent lack of a locally self-maintaining krill population at South Georgia means…Evidence for elevated alkalinity in the glacial Southern Ocean
1 January, 2010 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand
An increase in whole ocean alkalinity during glacial periods could account, in part, for the drawdown of atmospheric CO2 into the ocean. Such an increase was inevitable due to the…Read more on Evidence for elevated alkalinity in the glacial Southern Ocean
Middle Jurassic rhyolite volcanism of eastern Graham Land, Antarctic Peninsula: age correlations and stratigraphic relationships
1 January, 2010 by Teal Riley
Silicic volcanism at c. 168 Ma has been identified previously on the Antarctic Peninsula, and the Mapple Formation, which includes those volcanic rocks, has been defined and documented from one…Establishing lichenometric ages for nineteenth- and twentieth-century glacier fluctuations on South Georgia (South Atlantic)
1 January, 2010 by Dominic Hodgson, Huw Griffiths, Michael Thorne, Stephen Roberts
Glaciers in small mountain cirques on South Georgia respond rapidly and sensitively to changes in South Atlantic climate. The timing and rate of their deglaciation can be used to examine…Effects of environmental variability and change on cephalopod populations: an introduction to the CIAC’09 Symposium special issue
1 January, 2010 by Paul Rodhouse
This manuscript was produced as an introduction to this publication emanating from CIAC '09, the recent triennial symposium of the Cephalopod International Advisory Council. Given the importance of one of…Large aggregations of pelagic squid near the ocean surface at the Antarctic Polar Front, and their capture by grey-headed albatrosses
1 January, 2010 by Paul Rodhouse
Satellite-tracked squid predators and fish-finding acoustics were used to locate squid concentrations at the Antarctic Polar Front, then to sample them with a midwater trawl. Near-surface hauls were dominated by…Intercomparison of slant column measurements of NO2 and O4 by MAX-DOAS and zenith-sky UV and visible spectrometers
1 January, 2010 by Howard Roscoe
In June 2009, 22 spectrometers from 14 institutes measured tropospheric and stratospheric NO2 from the ground for more than 11 days during the Cabauw Intercomparison Campaign of Nitrogen Dioxide measuring…End-to-end models for the analysis of marine ecosystems: challenges, issues and next steps
1 January, 2010 by Simeon Hill
There is growing interest in models of marine ecosystems that deal with the effects of climate change through the higher trophic levels. Such end-to-end models combine physicochemical oceanographic descriptors and…Potential and limitations of marine and ice core sea ice proxies: an example from the Indian Ocean sector
1 January, 2010 by Eric Wolff
Diatom assemblages in marine cores and sea salt deposition fluxes in ice cores have been used as sea ice proxies in the southern hemisphere. Here, a marine and an ice…Dynamics of the Antarctic and Arctic mesosphere and lower thermosphere – Part 1: Mean winds
1 January, 2010
Zonal and meridional winds have been measured in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere at polar latitudes using two ground-based meteor radars. One radar is located at Rothera (68° S,…Foraging behaviour of King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) in relation to predictable mesoscale oceanographic features in the Polar Front Zone to the north of South Georgia
1 January, 2010 by Annette Scheffer, Philip Trathan
Marine predators are thought to utilise oceanic features adjusting their foraging strategy in a scale-dependent manner. Thus, they are thought to dynamically alter their foraging behaviour in response to environmental…How do polar marine ecosystems respond to rapid climate change?
1 January, 2010 by Michael Meredith
Climate change will alter marine ecosystems; however, the complexity of the food webs, combined with chronic undersampling, constrains efforts to predict their future and to optimally manage and protect marine…Read more on How do polar marine ecosystems respond to rapid climate change?
Thin-film flows with wall slip: an asymptotic analysis of higher order glacier flow models
1 January, 2010 by Richard Hindmarsh, Richard Hindmarsh
Free-surface thin-film flows can principally be described by two types of models. Lubrication models assume that shear stresses are dominant in the force balance of the flow and are appropriate…A step-change in the date of sea-ice breakup in western Hudson Bay
1 January, 2010 by Gareth Marshall
Over the last four decades there has been a trend to earlier summer breakup of the sea ice in western Hudson Bay, Canada. This sea ice is critical for the…Read more on A step-change in the date of sea-ice breakup in western Hudson Bay
Crevasses triggered on Pine Island Glacier by drilling through an exceptional melt layer
1 January, 2010 by Andy Smith, David Vaughan
The basic theory of crevasse formation suggests that crevasses initiate at or near the surface. However, due to variations in stress with depth, it has been suggested that it is…Differential gene expression during the moult cycle of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba)
1 January, 2010 by Geraint Tarling, Will Goodall-Copestake
Background: All crustaceans periodically moult to renew their exoskeleton. In krill this involves partial digestion and resorption of the old exoskeleton and synthesis of new cuticle. Molecular events that underlie…Comparison of the emergent behavior of a complex ecosystem model in two ocean general circulation models
1 January, 2010
A state-of-the-art complex marine ecosystem model, PlankTOM5 2, simulating the distribution of five plankton functional types (PFTs, mixed phytoplankton, diatoms, coccolithophores, micro and mesozooplankton), was implemented separately in two medium…Western Pacific coastal sources of iron, manganese, and aluminum to the Equatorial Undercurrent
1 January, 2010 by Pierre Dutrieux
[1] We present results from the first zonal transect of iron, aluminum, and manganese conducted from the western source region of the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) to the central equatorial Pacific.…The statistics of natural ELF/VLF waves derived from a long continuous set of ground-based observations at high latitude
1 January, 2010 by Nigel Meredith, Richard Horne
This paper analyses a unique set of continuous high-quality well-calibrated observations of natural ELF/VLF radio waves, in the range 0.3-10 kHz, made at Halley Research Station, Antarctica (76 degrees S,27…The flow of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current over the North Scotia Ridge
1 January, 2010 by Michael Meredith
The transports associated with the Subantarctic Front (SAF) and the Polar Front (PF) account for the majority of the volume transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). After passing through…Read more on The flow of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current over the North Scotia Ridge
Geographical variation in the behaviour of a central place forager: Antarctic fur seals foraging in contrasting environments
1 January, 2010 by Iain Staniland
Foragers show adaptive responses to changes within their environment, and such behavioural plasticity can be a significant driving force in speciation. We investigated how lactating Antarctic fur seals, Arctocephalus gazella,…The deuterium excess records of EPICA Dome C and Dronning Maud Land ice cores (East Antarctica)
1 January, 2010
New high-resolution deuterium excess (d) data from the two EPICA ice cores drilled in Dronning Maud Land (EDML) and Dome C (EDC) are presented here. The main moisture sources for…A horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2010
1 January, 2010 by Lloyd Peck
Horizon scanning identifies emerging issues in a given field sufficiently early to conduct research to inform policy and practice. Our group of horizon scanners, including academics and researchers, convened to…Read more on A horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2010
Speciation and phylogeography of giant petrels Macronectes
1 January, 2010
We examine global phylogeography of the two forms of giant petrel Macronectes spp. Although previously considered to be a single taxon, and despite debate over the status of some populations…Read more on Speciation and phylogeography of giant petrels Macronectes
Modelling the impact of ocean warming on melting and water masses of ice shelves in the Eastern Weddell Sea
1 January, 2010 by Keith Makinson
The Eastern Weddell Ice Shelves (EWIS) are believed to modify the water masses of the coastal current and thus preconditions the water mass formation in the southern and western Weddell…A comment on the Equation of State and the freezing point equation with respect to subglacial lake modelling
1 January, 2010 by Andy Smith
The empirical Equation of State (EOS) allows the calculation of the density of water in dependence of salinity, temperature, and pressure. Water density is an important quantity to determine the…Transcription profiling of acute temperature stress in the Antarctic plunderfish Harpagifer antarcticus
1 January, 2010 by Guy Hillyard, Michael Thorne, Melody Clark
Harpagifer antarcticus (the Antarctic plunderfish), a shallow-water benthic fish distributed around the Antarctic Peninsula, is a member of the notothenioid family, one of whose adaptations to the cold waters of…Scattering by chorus waves as the dominant cause of diffuse auroral precipitation
1 January, 2010 by Nigel Meredith, Richard Horne
Earth's diffuse aurora occurs over a broad latitude range(1) and is primarily caused by the precipitation of low-energy (0.1-30-keV) electrons originating in the central plasma sheet(2), which is the source…Read more on Scattering by chorus waves as the dominant cause of diffuse auroral precipitation
A consistent data set of Antarctic ice sheet topography, cavity geometry, and global bathymetry
1 January, 2010 by Adrian Jenkins, Keith Makinson, Pierre Dutrieux
Sub-ice shelf circulation and freezing/melting rates in ocean general circulation models depend critically on an accurate and consistent representation of cavity geometry. Existing global or pan-Antarctic data sets have turned…High divergence across the whole mitochondrial genome in the “pan-Antarctic” springtail Friesea grisea: Evidence for cryptic species?
1 January, 2010 by Peter Convey
Collembola are one of the few hexapod groups adapted to live in the harsh environmental conditions of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems. Diversity is limited to a few species that can be…Population structure of Friesea grisea (Collembola, Neanuridae) in the Antarctic Peninsula and Victoria Land: evidence for local genetic differentiation of pre-Pleistocene origin
1 January, 2010 by Peter Convey
Friesea grisea is the only springtail species currently described from both East (Victoria Land) and West Antarctica (Antarctic Peninsula), although levels of genetic divergence between the two regions suggest the…Climate change and the Antarctic marine ecosystem: an essay on management implications
1 January, 2010 by Philip Trathan
In this paper we review evidence for, and anticipated consequences of, climate change in Antarctic marine communities, examining the potential impacts on invertebrates and vertebrates alike and exploring plausible outcomes…Read more on Climate change and the Antarctic marine ecosystem: an essay on management implications
Transcriptional response to heat stress in the Antarctic bivalve Laternula elliptica
1 January, 2010 by Guy Hillyard, Lloyd Peck, Michael Thorne, Melody Clark
Our ability to predict animal responses to temperature changes is currently limited and more sensitive methods of identifying mechanisms, limits and thresholds are required. Antarctic marine ectotherms are excellent candidates…Read more on Transcriptional response to heat stress in the Antarctic bivalve Laternula elliptica
Structuring effects of climate-related environmental factors on Antarctic microbial mat communities
1 January, 2010 by Dominic Hodgson
Both ground-based and satellite data show that parts of Antarctica have entered a period of rapid climate change, which already affects the functioning and productivity of limnetic ecosystems. To predict…Evidence for widespread endemism among Antarctic micro-organisms
1 January, 2010 by Dominic Hodgson
Understanding the enormous diversity of microbes, their multiple roles in the functioning of ecosystems, and their response to large-scale environmental and climatic changes, are at the forefront of the international…Read more on Evidence for widespread endemism among Antarctic micro-organisms