News Archive - British Antarctic Survey

Warm ocean water, not air temperature, drove massive Antarctic ice retreat after the last ice age

Emily Neville — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:23:22 +0000

A new study concludes that warm ocean water was the primary driver of major West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat since the end of the last ice age 18,000 years ago.

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Accidental discovery reveals grim future for emperor penguins

Emily Neville — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:49:05 +0000

Scientists studying satellite images of Antarctica have stumbled upon a discovery that sheds new light on emperor penguins – and reveals a troubling threat to their survival.

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Scientists reveal our best- and worst-case scenarios for a warming Antarctica

Emily Neville — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:48:59 +0000

A team of international scientists, including from British Antarctic Survey (BAS), has modelled the best- and worst-case scenarios for the Antarctic Peninsula as the Earth’s climate warms.

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Major earthquakes don’t run to timetable, 6,000-year study reveals

Emily Newton — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 19:00:00 +0000

A new study published in Science Advances has overturned a common assumption about earthquake prediction: that major earthquakes follow predictable cycles, and that regions can be 'overdue' for the next big one.

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Update from Thwaites Glacier: when science doesn’t go your way

Emily Neville — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:15:46 +0000

Researchers from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and South Korea (KOPRI) have concluded a highly ambitious field operation at Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica.

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Scientists’ drilling mission on remote and inaccessible glacier

Emily Neville — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:01:56 +0000

A team of researchers from the UK and Korea has reached the most inaccessible and least-understood part of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica where they will drill through the glacier to directly observe how warm ocean water is […]

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Escape the January blues – applications open for jobs in Antarctica

Emily Neville — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:25:03 +0000

This year, escape the ordinary and apply for the job of a lifetime in Antarctica. While January is often associated with post-Christmas gloom, British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is looking for people to work at its research stations in Antarctica, […]

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Making waves: researchers set out to uncover secrets of Antarctica’s underwater tsunamis

Emily Neville — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 10:23:48 +0000

An international team of researchers, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), is setting out to discover how glacier calving around Antarctica can trigger powerful underwater tsunamis. When icebergs break off glacier fronts and fall […]

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UK investment in polar research reaches milestone with opening of new Antarctic hub

Kathleen Maclean — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:11:00 +0000

Scientists working in Antarctica will benefit from a major new British Antarctic Survey (BAS) facility that demonstrates the UK’s position as a world leader in polar research. The £100 million […]

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Breaking the ice: divers head beneath UK’s polar research ship in Antarctic sea ice mission

Emily Neville — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:40:26 +0000

Specialist divers will be entering the icy waters of the Weddell Sea, Antarctica this festive season (22-29 December) as part of a groundbreaking mission to test RRS Sir David Attenborough’s (SDA) ability to navigate through challenging sea ice conditions.

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