BAS-Arctic Working Group
Working Group purpose
The Arctic Working Group is a group of more than 60 BAS scientists and operations staff who are currently working in the Arctic or have aspirations to work there. The AWG was started in 2018 to bring together researchers in different fields to share their experiences of Arctic research, to enable new collaborations, and to maximise the potential output of this group by coordinating efforts and knowledge regarding Arctic projects, funding calls and logistics.
Terms of Reference
Content coming soon
Our priorities
Content coming soon
Map of Arctic Working Group projects
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. By reconstructing past ice sheets, their …
SDOO
Abrupt warming episodes punctuate Greenland ice core records throughout the last glacial period. These events were first identified in two Greenland stable water isotope records (Dansgaard et al., 1993), and …
Climate and Ice during the Last Interglacial
During the Last Interglacial (129-116 thousand years ago, ka) CO2 and global temperature were both higher than they were before human industrialisation. By examining Last Interglacial climate, we thus gain …
TEA-COSI
TEA_COSI assesses Arctic Sea-ice which has an important impact on currents and ocean circulations around the globe
UKESM-BAS
Reliable projections of the Earth’s climate are at the heart of scientific support for international efforts to address global change. There is increasing recognition that reliable projections require that physical …
ESA IAP ArcticSat project
Situational awareness in the Arctic
ICE-ARC
physicists, chemists, biologists, economists, and sociologists from 21 institutes in 11 countries across Europe assess the rapid retreat and collapse of Arctic sea-ice cover
SIOS
Svalbard Integrated Earth Observing System (SIOS) is an international infrastructure project. There are 26 partners from Europe and Asia involved. The essential objective is to establish better coordinated services for …
SEANA
Global shipping is undergoing significant changes. In January 2020 the maximum sulphur emission by ships in international waters will reduce from 3.5% to 0.5% by mass, as a result of …
Data As Art
DATA AS ART is an ongoing science & art project in development at NERC’s British Antarctic Survey (BAS). It visualises science data (in its widest definition), to create stunning and …
EISCAT Science Support
The UK EISCAT support group (UKESG) is a collaboration between the British Antarctic Survey and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, funded via the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) EISCAT, the …
Iceland Greenland seas Project
PI: Ian Renfrew (University of East Anglia) CO-I’s: Tom Bracegirdle, Tom Lachlan-Cope, Alexandra Weiss PDRA’s: Andrew Elvidge (University of East Anglia), James Pope NERC Grant: NE/N009924/1 Project Partners: Robert Pickart …
ACSIS
Major changes are occurring across the North Atlantic climate system: in the ocean and atmosphere temperatures and circulation, in sea ice thickness and extent, and in key atmospheric constituents such …
Increasing ship traffic in Inuit Nunangat
17 August, 2023
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 …
Poet Laureate visits UK Arctic Research Station
14 July, 2023
The UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage CBE has travelled to the UK Arctic Research Station, where he will create new works inspired by the visit. While hosted at the UK …
Britain’s Arctic Research Station celebrates 30 years of science and monitoring climate change
28 September, 2021
The Arctic Station in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard in Norway, the UK’s permanent Arctic research facility, celebrates its 30 years anniversary this week (Tuesday 28 September) as it continues to undertake critical …
BAS celebrates International Day of Women and Girls in Science
11 February, 2022 by Melody Clark
Today, 11 February, is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a global initiative led by UNESCO and UN-Women. To celebrate, we have asked some of our female staff …
Timing of the Recent Migration and Intensification of the Southern Hemisphere Westerly Winds
16 July, 2025 by Claire Allen, Dieter Tetzner, Liz Thomas
In recent decades, the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds have strengthened and migrated south, attributed to greenhouse gas emissions and stratospheric ozone depletion. However, the onset and acceleration of these drivers…Ku‐ and Ka‐Band Polarimetric Radar Waveforms and Snow Depth Estimation Over Multi‐Year Antarctic Sea Ice in the Weddell Sea
16 July, 2025 by Jeremy Wilkinson
Antarctic sea ice has seen recent rapid declines in extent, but it remains unclear whether this isaccompanied by thinning. Due to the relative abundance and complexity of overlying snow on…Fungal diversity in Antarctic lignocellulosic substrates and their production of enzymes and lipids with potential industrial applications
9 July, 2025 by Peter Convey
Antarctica is characterized by extreme conditions including low temperatures, strong winds, desiccation, high UV radiation, high salinity, freeze-thaw cycles and pH variations. As a result, the resident diversity is dominated…Long Term Marine Biodiversity Monitoring in Coastal Antarctica: Are Fewer Rare Species Recruiting?
8 July, 2025 by Adriana Giles, Alice Clement, David Barnes, Simon Morley
The physical environment of nearshore Southern Ocean (coastal Antarctica) is altering rapidly in response to climate change, but also has other long cyclicity due to El Nino Southern Oscillation and…Ecosystem metabolism and nitrogen budget of a glacial fjord in the Arctic (Kongsfjorden)
2 July, 2025 by Peter Convey
Fjords in the Arctic are changing rapidly due to multiple factors including increasing air temperatures, the influx of Atlantic Water (Atlantification), sea-ice loss, retreat of tidewater glaciers, increased freshwater discharges,…Evolution of dispersal capacities during range expansion: size and behavior matter in an arthropod invading the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen archipela
2 July, 2025 by Peter Convey
The flexibility of movement behaviour was investigated in the non-native carabid beetle, Merizodus soledadinus, by comparing individuals from well-established populations (residents) to those at the invasion front (dispersers) in the…Trade-offs between short- and long-term resilience to warming within and between shallow water marine assemblages
2 July, 2025 by Simon Morley
Subtidal marine ectotherm physiological responses vary with ocean warming. Predicting these responses is important for ecosystem assessments to inform management and conservation strategies. Falkland Islands coastal species representing different mobility,…Shelf-edge glaciation offshore of northeast Greenland during the last glacial maximum and timing of initial ice-sheet retreat
1 July, 2025 by James Smith
This paper presents new marine geophysical data and radiocarbon dated sediment cores to reconstruct the maximum extent of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS) during the last glaciation and the…Presence of two eddies in close proximity drives large spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the euphotic zone
1 July, 2025 by Anna Belcher
Oceanic mesoscale structures, such as eddies, play a fundamental role in ocean circulation, ocean biogeochemical cycles and plankton ecology. They cause lateral and vertical advection, as well as interact with…Polar ectotherms more vulnerable to warming than expected
1 July, 2025 by Peter Convey
Polar regions are heavily impacted by climate change. Yet, vulnerability assessments suggest little concern about heat-related challenges for polar terrestrial ectotherms. These conclusions are based, however, on assumptions and extrapolation…Read more on Polar ectotherms more vulnerable to warming than expected
A Weakened AMOC Could Cause Southern Ocean Temperature and Sea‐Ice Change on Multidecadal Timescales
1 July, 2025 by Louise Sime, Paul Holland
We present the first CMIP6-era multi-model intercomparison of the Southern Ocean (SO) temperature and sea-ice response to substantial Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) weakening. Results are based on analysis of…Bridging the Scotia Arc: Climate-Driven Shifts in Connectivity of the Freshwater Crustacean Branchinecta gaini in Sub-Antarctic and Antarctic Ecosystems
1 July, 2025 by Peter Convey
Aim: To integrate the historical and contemporary connectivity of Branchinecta gaini (B. gaini), in order to better predict future distribution changes within its fragmented, dynamic and isolated habitat range. Location:…Detection of Genes Encoding for Absorption of Hydrocarbons Degradation by Bacteria Isolated from Antarctica, Malaysia, and Indonesia
30 June, 2025 by Peter Convey
Petroleum spills pose a significant threat to ecosystems due to the presence of hydrocarbons, the primary toxic components. Bioremediation, particularly using hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, offers an eco-friendly solution for mitigating this…The First Firn Core From the Cordillera Darwin Icefield: Implications for Future Ice Core Research
28 June, 2025 by Bianca Perren, Claire Allen, Dieter Tetzner, Dorothea Moser, Jack Humby, Liz Thomas, Shaun Miller
The Southern Hemisphere westerly winds (SHWWs) (45–65°S) are important regulators of the Southern Hemisphere climate. The scarcity of observational records at the core of the wind belt hinders our understanding…Seasonally migrating zooplankton strongly enhance Southern Ocean carbon sequestration
23 June, 2025 by Geraint Tarling, Jennifer Freer
High‐latitude zooplankton can sequester millions of tons of carbon due to their seasonal migration from the surface ocean to depth, and their respiration and mortality during overwintering. This seasonal vertical…Read more on Seasonally migrating zooplankton strongly enhance Southern Ocean carbon sequestration
Is Antarctica Greening?
20 June, 2025 by Peter Convey
Earth's polar regions are experiencing significant climate change, impacting global oceanographic and weather patterns. Arctic “greening” is well studied, but a debate has emerged about whether similar trends are occurring…Method for Quantification of Fatty Acids in Ice Cores and Sea-Ice Cores Using Liquid Chromatography High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry
18 June, 2025 by Liz Thomas, Roseanne Smith, Siobhan Johnson
Marine-sourced fatty acids provide a promising new suite of proxies for past sea-ice reconstructions, validated using ice cores from Bouvet Island, Greenland, and Alaska. Despite showing great potential as a…Sea ice controls net ocean CO2 uptake by regulating wintertime stratification
18 June, 2025 by Hugh Venables, Michael Meredith
Sea-air exchange of carbon dioxide in the Southern Ocean is strongly seasonal, with ocean uptake in summer, which is partly offset by carbon dioxide outgassing in winter. This seasonal balance…Read more on Sea ice controls net ocean CO2 uptake by regulating wintertime stratification
Impact of glacial meltwater on phytoplankton biomass along the Western Antarctic Peninsula
12 June, 2025 by Michael Meredith
The Western Antarctic Peninsula is undergoing rapid environmental change. Regional warming is causing increased glacial meltwater discharge, but the ecological impact of this meltwater over large spatiotemporal scales is not…
