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Ukraine made a significant contribution to the study of the Antarctic. People from Ukraine were part of the expeditions that discovered and explored the Antarctic and conquered the South Pole in the XIX - beginning of the XX century. From the end of the 1950s to the beginning of the 1990s, Ukrainian researchers and engineers made valuable efforts to establish and develop Soviet Antarctic expeditions. With the acquisition of independence, the difficult and ambitious path of studying the Antarctic under the flag of Ukraine began. This article provides a historical overview of the main institutional achievements in the development of Ukrainian Antarctic research from 1993 to the present. Also, it outlines the current state, challenges, and prospects for further developing Ukraine's National Antarctic Program within the Antarctic Treaty System. The gradual development of the State Special-Purpose Antarctic Research Programs is noted, and the main results are presented. The scientific potential and contribution to international scientific cooperation of Ukraine's key Antarctic infrastructure facilities are revealed - Vernadsky station as a multi-purpose observatory for monitoring geophysical processes and the impact of climate change on the Antarctic ecosystems, and the ice-capable research vessel Noosfera. It is shown that the environmental protection initiatives and measures developed by Ukraine to regulate tourist activities are an important contribution to the development of the international legal regime of Antarctica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that at the end of the International Geophysical Year, since January 1959 the U.S. launched a new Antarctic research program (USARP, in its original acronym), coordinated and administered by the National Science Foundation. Topics include examines that during the scientific program designed for 1960-1961, multiple scientific disciplines were developed (Hahn, 1961).

Antarctica is free of urbanisation, however, 40 year-round and 32 seasonal Antarctic stations operate there. The effects of such human settlements on Antarctic wildlife are insufficiently studied. The main aim of this study was to determine the organization of the bird population of the Mirny Station. The birds were observed on the coast of the Davis Sea in the Mirny (East Antarctica) from January 8, 2012 to January 7, 2013 and from January 9, 2015 to January 9, 2016. The observations were carried out mainly on the Radio and Komsomolsky nunataks (an area of about 0.5 km²). The duration of observations varied from 1 to 8 hours per day. From 1956 to 2016, 13 non-breeding bird species (orders Sphenisciformes, Procellariiformes, Charadriiformes) were recorded in the Mirny. The South polar skuas (Catharacta maccormicki) and Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) form the basis of the bird population. South polar skuas are most frequently recorded at the station. Less common are Brown skuas (Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi) and Adélie penguins. Adélie penguins, Wilson's storm petrels (Oceanites oceanicus), South polar and Brown skuas are seasonal residents, the other species are visitors. Adélie penguins, Emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri), Macaroni (Eudyptes chrysolophus) and Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica), Wilson's storm petrels, South polar and Brown skuas interacted with the station environment, using it for comfortable behavior, feeding, molting, shelter from bad weather conditions, and possible breeding. South polar and Brown skuas tend to be attracted to the station, while other Antarctic bird species are indifferent to humans. Birds spend part of the annual cycle at the station or visit it with different frequency, but they cannot meet their ecological needs there all year round. The study improves our understanding of the regularities of the phenomenon of urbanization of the avifauna in the polar regions of the planet Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Built in 2009, Kunlun Station, China's third Antarctic research station, is located in the Dome A region. In 2013, during the 36th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM), China proposed the establishment of a new Antarctic Specially Managed Area (ASMA) within Dome A and prepared a draft management plan for it. Yet, several ATCM members questioned China's motives for designating Dome A as a new ASMA, and, as a result, no consensus could be reached. Surprisingly however, the Chinese ASMA proposal spurred a new impulse to introduce guidelines for the designation of ASMAs. This paper explores the legal implications of China's proposal for an ASMA at Kunlun Station in Dome A and, in particular, focuses on the new legal developments that followed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ice shelves around Antarctica can provide back stress for outlet glaciers and control ice sheet mass loss. They often contain narrow bands of thin ice termed ice shelf channels. Ice shelf channel morphology can be interpreted through surface depressions and exhibits junctions and deflections from flowlines. Using ice flow modeling and radar, we investigate ice shelf channels in the Roi Baudouin Ice Shelf. These are aligned obliquely to the prevailing easterly winds. In the shallow radar stratigraphy, syncline and anticline stacks occur beneath the upwind and downwind side, respectively. The structures are horizontally and vertically coherent, except near an ice shelf channel junction where patterns change structurally with depth. Deeper layers truncate near basal incisions. Using ice flow modeling, we show that the stratigraphy is ∼9 times more sensitive to atmospheric variability than to oceanic variability. This is due to the continual adjustment toward flotation. We propose that syncline‐anticline pairs in the shallow stratigraphy are caused by preferential snow deposition on the windward side and wind erosion at the downwind side. This drives downwind deflection of ice shelf channels of several meters per year. The depth variable structures indicate formation of an ice shelf channel junction by basal melting. We conclude that many ice shelf channels are seeded at the grounding line. Their morphology farther seaward is shaped on different length scales by ice dynamics, the ocean, and the atmosphere. These processes act on finer (subkilometer) scales than are captured by most ice, atmosphere, and ocean models, yet the dynamics of ice shelf channels may have broader implications for ice shelf stability. Plain Language Summary: Ice flows from Antarctica's interior toward the coast. At the contact point between ice and ocean, the ice becomes afloat and forms fast‐flowing ice shelves. Snowfall continuously accumulates at the ice shelf surface, and at the ice shelf bottom the relatively warm ocean water can melt ice from below. Ice shelves sometimes exhibit a network of surface depressions resembling a river network. At the base, the depressions are accompanied by large incisions termed ice shelf channels. Using radar as a tool for echolocation, we investigate how the shape of this network is formed. We find that snow preferentially collects in the upwind side of the surface depressions. This makes ice shelf channels move to the downwind side. We also find that ice shelf channels can form junctions through localized ocean melting. This is important because it helps us to better understand how the Antarctic ice sheet interacts with the surrounding ocean. Key Points: The radar stratigraphy in ice shelves is 9 times more sensitive to variability in snow deposition than to variability in basal meltingSome ice shelf channels at Roi Baudouin Ice Shelf deflect from flowlines; the radar stratigraphy reflects related processesVariable snow deposition causes slow deflection, and basal melting can form ice shelf channel junctions far from the grounding line [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For three austral summer seasons (2013–2016, each from December to February) aerosol particles arriving at the Belgian Antarctic research station Princess Elisabeth (PE) in Dronning Maud Land in East Antarctica were characterized. This included number concentrations of total aerosol particles (NCN) and cloud condensation nuclei (NCCN), the particle number size distribution (PNSD), the aerosol particle hygroscopicity, and the influence of the air mass origin on NCN and NCCN. In general NCN was found to range from 40 to 6700 cm -3 , with a median of 333 cm -3 , while NCCN was found to cover a range between less than 10 and 1300 cm -3 for supersaturations (SSs) between 0.1 % and 0.7 %. It is shown that the aerosol is dominated by the Aitken mode, being characterized by a significant amount of small, and therefore likely secondarily formed, aerosol particles, with 94 % and 36 % of the aerosol particles smaller than 90 and ≈35 nm, respectively. Measurements of the basic meteorological parameters as well as the history of the air masses arriving at the measurement station indicate that the station is influenced by both marine air masses originating from the Southern Ocean and coastal areas around Antarctica (marine events – MEs) and continental air masses (continental events – CEs). CEs, which were defined as instances when the air masses spent at least 90 % of the time over the Antarctic continent during the last 10 days prior to arrival at the measurements station, occurred during 61 % of the time during which measurements were done. CEs came along with rather constant NCN and NCCN values, which we denote as Antarctic continental background concentrations. MEs, however, cause large fluctuations in NCN and NCCN , with low concentrations likely caused by scavenging due to precipitation and high concentrations likely originating from new particle formation (NPF) based on marine precursors. The application of HYSPLIT back trajectories in form of the potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis indicate that the region of the Southern Ocean is a potential source of Aitken mode particles. On the basis of PNSDs, together with NCCN measured at an SS of 0.1 %, median values for the critical diameter for cloud droplet activation and the aerosol particle hygroscopicity parameter κ were determined to be 110 nm and 1, respectively. For particles larger than ≈110 nm the Southern Ocean together with parts of the Antarctic ice shelf regions were found to be potential source regions. While the former may contribute sea spray particles directly, the contribution of the latter may be due to the emission of sea salt aerosol particles, released from snow particles from surface snow layers, e.g., during periods of high wind speed, leading to drifting or blowing snow. The region of the Antarctic inland plateau, however, was not found to feature a significant source region for aerosol particles in general or for cloud condensation nuclei measured at the PE station in the austral summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We analyze the results of the gravity wave (GW)‐resolving, high‐resolution Kühlungsborn Mechanistic general Circulation Model in July at McMurdo Station (166.69°E and 77.84°S), where strong downslope eastward winds create strong mountain wave (MW) events. These MWs have horizontal wavelengths of λH≃230 km, propagate to z∼ 40–60 km, and can have upward phases in time if the eastward wind accelerates in time. Additionally, inertia‐GWs (IGWs) with λH∼ 500–800 km and ground‐based periods of τr∼ 5–6 hr are generated in the troposphere from unbalanced, large‐scale flow. The density‐scaled GW amplitudes are ∼10 times smaller at z∼ 80–100 km than at z < 50 km because of severe wave dissipation. “Fishbone” structures are seen at z∼ 30–60 km with upward (downward) phases in time below (above) the “knee” at zknee. We horizontally filter the perturbations to isolate the GWs in a fishbone structure for a particular MW event. We find that these GWs have strikingly similar parameters below and above zknee=46 km, with ground‐based horizontal phase speeds of cH∼ 40–60 m/s, τr∼ 9–10 hr, λH∼ 1,600–2,050 km, vertical wavelengths of λz∼ 18–25 km, and azimuths of Υ= 145° –151° east of north. We show that these are secondary GWs excited by a body force at zknee created by MW dissipation approximately 400 km northwest of McMurdo 2.5 hr earlier and that the secondary GW scales and propagation directions are consistent with this force. Importantly, we show that most of the GWs at z > 70 km are secondary GWs not primary GWs from the troposphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the Homeward Bound Project 2018 global leadership program for the promotion of female scientists which involved an excursion to Antarctica in which two American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) members, Dr. Elisa D. Harvey and Dr. Jill M. Lynn took part. Topics discussed include their departing for Antarctica in the ship MV Ushuaia, their seeing various penguins, whales and seals on their trip and their visiting several international research stations.

Here, we report on the results of new observations on abundance and habitat preference of 34 bird species, which were recorded in adjacent locations of the Malye Karmakuly Polar Station (Yuzhny Island, Novaya Zemlya Archipelago). Additionally, we provide the first record of harlequin duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) on Novaya Zemlya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive measurement of radioactivity concentrations of the primordial radionuclides 238 U, 232 Th and 40 K and their decay products in the soil samples collected from the sites of Indian research stations, Bharati and Maitri, at Antarctica was carried out using gamma spectrometric method. The activity concentrations in the soil samples of Bharati site were observed to be few times higher than of Maitri site. The major contributor to radioactivity content in the soil at Bharati site is 232 Th radionuclide in higher concentration. The gamma radiation levels based on the measured radioactivity of soil samples were calculated using the equation given in UNSCEAR 2000. The calculated radiation levels were compared with the measured values and found to correlate reasonably well. The study could be useful for the scientists working at Antarctica especially those at Indian station to take decision to avoid areas with higher radioactivity before erecting any facility for long term experiment or use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anthropogenic effects of Antarctic refuge buildings and research stations on the surrounding soils are scarcely investigated, especially when the structures are small-sized, and sporadically used or visited. The Coppermine Peninsula (Robert Island, South Shetland Islands archipelago) possesses one of the richest flora in Antarctica, being classified as an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA). There, a small refuge (Luis Risopatrón) has been seasonally occupied for scientific purposes since 1957, although no studies on the anthropic disturbances in the surroundings soils are reported. The aim of this study was the determination of the potentially toxic metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) mass fractions in surface soils ( n = 40) collected at the surroundings of the Luis Risopatrón refuge. Enrichment factors (EF) and geoaccumulation index ( I ) were also calculated, using Zr as the reference element, in order to evaluate the anthropogenic impacts of these small buildings in the studied area. The main contaminants were Pb and Zn, which presented EF and I values ranging from 1.0 to 18.3 and from −1.8 to 3.5. The mass fractions of these elements determined after an aqua regia extraction varied from 5.4 to 102 mg kg Pb and from 43 to 210 mg kg Zn. These results highlight that a small refuge can show environmental disturbance from low to moderate, with few hotspots with heavily contaminated soils. Environmental monitoring strategy for similar refuges anywhere in Antarctica is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the priorities of the fourth International Polar Year (IPY) was to increase awareness of the polar regions and polar science among the general public through education, communication and other forms of outreach. This paper reports on the media coverage of Princess Elisabeth Antarctica (PEA), Belgium's “zero-emission” Antarctic research station designed by the non-profit International Polar Foundation (IPF) to run on wind and solar energy and to employ state-of-the-art forms of energy management and other “green” technology. This paper provides background information on PEA, a review of IPF's media strategy for the project, a description of media coverage of the station and a discussion of the way in which the IPF's main messages were reported in the media. IPF staff surveyed approximately 300 media reports released between February 2004, when the PEA project was announced to the general public, and June 2010, when the IPF presented their findings at the IPY conference in Oslo. PEA was featured 580 times in print and web media in Belgium, and 303 times outside Belgium. Major international agencies such as the Associated Press, Agence France Presse, the BBC, Al-Jazeera and Reuters covered the project. On television and radio, PEA was featured in news broadcasts from all four major television networks in Belgium, most major radio stations and 34 different television and radio news outlets outside Belgium. The paper concludes that the media coverage for PEA was significant and suggests reasons why the project was so widely reported.

Soil is an important environmental reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which are increasingly recognized as environmental contaminants. Methods to assess the risks associated with the acquisition or transfer of resistance mechanisms are still underdeveloped. Quantification of background levels of antibiotic resistance genes and what alters those is a first step in understanding our environmental resistome. Toward this goal, 62 samples were collected over 3 years from soils near the 30-year old Gondwana Research Station and for 4 years before and during development of the new Jang Bogo Research Station, both at Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica. These sites reflect limited and more extensive human impact, respectively. A qPCR array with 384 primer sets targeting antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) was used to detect and quantify these genes. A total of 73 ARGs and MGEs encompassing eight major antibiotic resistance gene categories were detected, but most at very low levels. Antarctic soil appeared to be a common reservoir for seven ARGs since they were present in most samples (42%-88%). If the seven widespread genes were removed, there was a correlation between the relative abundance of MGEs and ARGs, more typical of contaminated sites. There was a relationship between ARG content and distance from both research stations, with a significant effect at the Jang Bogo Station especially when excluding the seven widespread genes; however, the relative abundance of ARGs did not increase over the 4 year period. Silt, clay, total organic carbon, and SiO2 were the top edaphic factors that correlated with ARG abundance. Overall, this study identifies that human activity and certain soil characteristics correlate with antibiotic resistance genes in these oligotrophic Antarctic soils and provides a baseline of ARGs and MGEs for future comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface transportation was a crucial element of all human activities ever since the beginning of the exploration of the seventh continent. At the Argentine Antarctic research base 'Base Esperanza' there is a small informal collection/museum on Antarctic transportation that constitutes the only transportation museum in Antarctica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early 1980s, Germany started a new era of modern Antarctic research. The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) was founded and important research platforms such as the German permanent station in Antarctica, today called Neumayer III, and the research icebreaker Polarstern were installed. The research primarily focused on the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. In parallel, the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) started a priority program 'Antarctic Research' (since 2003 called SPP-1158) to foster and intensify the cooperation between scientists from different German universities and the AWI as well as other institutes involved in polar research. Here, we review the main findings in meteorology and oceanography of the last decade, funded by the priority program. The paper presents field observations and modelling efforts, extending from the stratosphere to the deep ocean. The research spans a large range of temporal and spatial scales, including the interaction of both climate components. In particular, radiative processes, the interaction of the changing ozone layer with large-scale atmospheric circulations, and changes in the sea ice cover are discussed. Climate and weather forecast models provide an insight into the water cycle and the climate change signals associated with synoptic cyclones. Investigations of the atmospheric boundary layer focus on the interaction between atmosphere, sea ice and ocean in the vicinity of polynyas and leads. The chapters dedicated to polar oceanography review the interaction between the ocean and ice shelves with regard to the freshwater input and discuss the changes in water mass characteristics, ventilation and formation rates, crucial for the deepest limb of the global, climate-relevant meridional overturning circulation. They also highlight the associated storage of anthropogenic carbon as well as the cycling of carbon, nutrients and trace metals in the ocean with special emphasis on the Weddell Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Q and U Bolometric Interferometer for Cosmology (QUBIC) is a Fizeau interferometer sensitive to linear polarisation, to be deployed at the Antarctic station of Dome C. This experiment in its final configuration will be operated at 97, 150 and 220 GHz and is intended to target CMB primordial B-modes in a multipole window $$20<\ell <150$$ . A sensitivity of $$r = 0.05$$ (95 % CL) can be reached by the first module alone, after 2 years of operation. Here we review in particular its working principles, and we show how the QUBIC interferometric configuration can be considered equivalent to a pupil-plane filtered imaging system. In this context, we show how our instrument can be self-calibrated. Finally, we conclude by showing an overview of the first dual-band module (150/220 GHz), which will serve also as a demonstrator for the subsequent units, and review the technological choices we made for each subsystem, with particular emphasis on the detection system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper is given an information about complex geodetic research in Ukrainian Antarctic station 'Academician Vernadsky'. Research were carried by Lviv polytechnic scientists, during Antarctic expeditions in years 2002 - 2005, 2013, 2014. Main objectives of the studies were: (a) study of the islands glaciers surface volumes changes in Antarctic archipelago and Antarctic Peninsula using terestrial laser scaning and digital terrestrial stereophotogrammetry survey; (b) investigation of Penola strain tectonic fault, using the results of precise GNSS observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antarctica is the coldest continent on the earth. The Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean surround the continent. Antarctic continent covers 10% of the earth surface and has a surface area of nearly 14 million square kilometer. It also has 70% of the world's fresh water resources in the form of ice sheets. Thick ice sheets cover the whole continent (almost 98%). As a result of the environmental conditions, the remaining (2%) fraction without ice cover is basically the barren soil and rocks. Many countries have set up scientific research stations in Antarctica. There are about 65 scientific research stations in summer and 30 research stations in winter, which are currently operating for scientific investigations. India has two permanent scientific research stations in the Antarctica located in Schirmacher Oasis in Central Dronning Maud Land and in Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica. However, the activities due to operation and maintenance of the research station in Antarctica have impacts on the Antarctic environment. Besides, the scientific stations also generate waste materials and a significant part of it is discharged into the Antarctic environment, which may create impacts on the Antarctica. The assessment of waste materials emanating from various sources was carried out. The present paper attempts to highlight the environmental parameters observed during ISEA austral summer at Maitri and Bharti station, East Antarctica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By combining a Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) Earth Gravity Model (EGM) and in situ gravity data obtained from the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) surveys, we estimated the regional gravity field in the area of Syowa Station, a Japanese research station located in Lützow-Holm Bay, East Antarctica. In situ data sets that were used consisted of land gravity data collected since 1967, shipborne data collected since 1985 and airborne gravity data collected in 2006. The GOCE direct (DIR) solution release 5 (R5) model was used as the long-wavelength reference of the gravity field. Using these data sets, we calculated gravity anomalies and geoid heights at 1-by-1′ grid by means of least-squares collocation. The resulting geoid height at Syowa Station was compared with a local height based on GPS, spirit leveling and tide gauge data. The result suggests that the sea surface height at Syowa Station is −1.57 m, which is consistent with a dynamic ocean topography model. During this investigation, we also evaluated GOCE EGMs and other recent EGMs by comparing them with the airborne gravity data. The results indicate that the GOCE DIR R5 produced the smallest RMS (Root Mean Square) differences and that the newer models performed nearly as well. These comparisons demonstrate the importance of using reliable in situ data when evaluating satellite-only EGMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two deep ice cores, Dome Fuji (DF) and EPICA Dome C (EDC), drilled at remote dome summits in Antarctica, were volcanically synchronized to improve our understanding of their chronologies. Within the past 216 kyr, 1401 volcanic tie points have been identified. DFO2006 is the chronology for the DF core that strictly follows O2 =N2 age constraints with interpolation using an ice flow model. AICC2012 is the chronology for five cores, including the EDC core, and is characterized by glaciological approaches combining ice flow modelling with various age markers. A precise comparison between the two chronologies was performed. The age differences between them are within 2 kyr, except at Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. DFO2006 gives ages older than AICC2012, with peak values of 4.5 and 3.1 kyr at MIS 5d and MIS 5b, respectively. Accordingly, the ratios of duration (AICC2012 = DFO2006) range between 1.4 at MIS 5e and 0.7 at MIS 5a. When making a comparison with accurately dated speleothem records, the age of DFO2006 agrees well at MIS 5d, while the age of AICC2012 agrees well at MIS 5b, supporting their accuracy at these stages. In addition, we found that glaciological approaches tend to give chronologies with younger ages and with longer durations than age markers suggest at MIS 5d-6. Therefore, we hypothesize that the causes of the DFO2006-AICC2012 age differences at MIS 5 are (i) overestimation in surface mass balance at around MIS 5d-6 in the glaciological approach and (ii) an error in one of the O2 =N2 age constraints by ~3 kyr at MIS 5b. Overall, we improved our knowledge of the timing and duration of climatic stages at MIS 5. This new understanding will be incorporated into the production of the next common age scale. Additionally, we found that the deuterium signals of ice, δDice, at DF tends to lead the one at EDC, with the DF lead being more pronounced during cold periods. The lead of DF is by +710 years (maximum) at MIS 5d, -230 years (minimum) at MIS 7a and +60 to +126 years on average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Halley VI Antarctic Research station was designed as a series of linked, ski-mounted modules. This makes it possible to relocate the station in the event that changing Antarctic conditions require it. These modules are gradually moving relative to each other, distorting the station configuration and potentially threatening the inter-module connections. In this paper we describe a scalable network of GPS receivers used to monitor this distortion. This network has been installed and operational for two months, and is measuring the relative motion of the modules to an accuracy of 1 mm, despite the station and its underlying ice shelf moving metres each day under the influence of ocean tides and glacial flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system has high productivity and accuracy for topographic mapping, but the harsh conditions of Antarctica make LIDAR operation difficult. Low temperatures cause malfunctioning of the LIDAR system, and unpredictable strong winds can deteriorate data quality by irregularly shaking co-registration targets. For stable and efficient LIDAR operation in Antarctica, this study proposes and demonstrates the following practical solutions: (1) a lagging cover with a heating pack to maintain the temperature of the terrestrial LIDAR system; (2) co-registration using square planar targets and two-step point-merging methods based on extracted feature points and the Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm; and (3) a georeferencing module consisting of an artificial target and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. The solutions were used to produce a topographic map for construction of the Jang Bogo Research Station in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica. Co-registration and georeferencing precision reached 5 and 45 mm, respectively, and the accuracy of the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) generated from the LIDAR scanning data was ±27.7 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results of the comparison of integrated precipitable water measurements from GPS solution and aerological techniques: CIMEL-318 sun-photometer and radiosoundings (RAOB). Integrated Precipitable Water (IPW) - important meteorological parameter is derived from GPS tropospheric solutions by known procedure for GPS station at Polish Polar Station, Hornsund (Svalbard). The relation between 2 m temperature and the mean temperature of atmosphere above, used to convert from wet part of tropospheric delay (ZWD) to IPW, has been derived using local radiosonde data at Ny Alesund. Sunphotometer data have been provided by AERONET. Quality of dedicated tropospheric solutions has been verified by comparison with EPN tropospheric combined product. Several IPW comparisons and analyses lead to determination of systematic difference between techniques: GPS IPW and sunphotometer data (not present in case of RAOBs). IPW measured by CIMEL is on average 5% bigger (0.5 mm) than IPW from GPS. This bias changes seasonally and is a function of atmospheric temperature what signals some systematic deficiencies in solar photometry as IPW retrieval technique. CIMEL IPW show some temperature dependent bias also in relation to radiosoundings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the role of a permanently manned Australian Antarctic research station (Casey Station) as a source of contemporary persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to the local environment. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and poly- and perfluoroalkylated substances (PFASs) were found in indoor dust and treated wastewater effluent of the station. PBDE (e.g., BDE-209 26-820 ng g-1 dry weight (dw)) and PFAS levels (e.g., PFOS 3.8-2400 ng g-1 (dw)) in dust were consistent with those previously reported in homes and offices from Australia, reflecting consumer products and materials of the host nation. The levels of PBDEs and PFASs in wastewater (e.g., BDE-209 71-400 ng L-1) were in the upper range of concentrations reported for secondary treatment plants in other parts of the world. The chemical profiles of some PFAS samples were, however, different from domestic profiles. Dispersal of chemicals into the immediate marine and terrestrial environments was investigated by analysis of abiotic and biotic matrices. Analytes showed decreasing concentrations with increasing distance from the station. This study provides the first evidence of PFAS input to Polar regions via local research stations and demonstrates the introduction of POPs recently listed under the Stockholm Convention into the Antarctic environment through local human activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a joint expedition (JARE-54 and BELARE 2012-2013) that conducted a search for meteorites on the Nansen Ice Field, Antarctica, in an area south of the Sør Rondane Mountains (72°30'-73°S, 23°-25°E; elevation 2900-3000 m). The expedition took place over a period of 39 days during the austral summer, between 26 December 2012 and 2 February 2013. The team consisted of ten members: three researchers and one field assistant from the 54th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-54), and five researchers and one field assistant from the Belgian Antarctic Expedition (BELARE) 2012-2013. Previously, this area had only been searched by JARE- 29. The team collected 424 meteorites, which had a total weight of about 70 kg. The search tracks of the ten members of the expedition were recorded using hand-held GPS units, and this allowed the distribution of meteorites within the searched area to be mapped. The resultant data will be useful for planning future expeditions and can be used to clarify the meteorite concentration mechanism on the ice field. This paper focuses on the activities of JARE-54 during the joint expedition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A permeable bio-reactive barrier (PRB) was installed at Casey Station, Antarctica in 2005/06 to intercept, capture and degrade petroleum hydrocarbons from a decade old fuel spill. A funnel and gate configuration was selected and implemented. The reactive gate was split into five separate cells to enable the testing of five different treatment combinations. Although different treatment materials were used in each cell, each treatment combination contained the following reactive zones: a zone for the controlled release of nutrients to enhance degradation, a zone for hydrocarbon capture and enhanced degradation, and a zone to capture excess nutrients. The materials selected for each of these zones had other requirements, these included; not having any adverse impact on the environment, being permeable enough to capture the entire catchment flow, and having sufficient residence time to fully capture migrating hydrocarbons. Over a five year period the performance of the PRB was extensively monitored and evaluated for nutrient concentration, fuel retention and permeability. At the end of the five year test period the material located within the reactive gate was excavated, total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations present on the material determined and particle size analysis conducted. This work found that although maintaining media reactivity is obviously important, the most critical aspect of PRB performance is preserving the permeability of the barrier itself, in this case by maintaining appropriate particle size distribution. This is particularly important when PRBs are installed in regions that are subject to freeze thaw processes that may result in particle disintegration over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sun-tracking performance of a shipborne sky radiometer was improved to attain accurate aerosol optical thickness (AOT) from direct solar measurements on a pitching and rolling vessel. Improvements were made in the accuracy of sun-pointing measurements, field-of-view expansion, sun-tracking speed, and measurement method. Radiometric measurements of direct solar and sky brightness distribution were performed using the shipborne sky radiometer onboard the Antarctic research vessel (R/V) Shirase during JARE-51 (2009-2010) and JARE-52 (2010-2011). The temporal variation of signal intensity measured by the radiometer under cloudless conditions was smooth, demonstrating that the radiometer could measure direct sunlight onboard the R/V. AOT at 500 nm ranged from 0.01 to 0.34, and values over Southeast Asia and over the western Pacific Ocean in spring were higher than those over other regions. The Ångström exponent ranged from -0.06 to 2.00, and values over Southeast Asia and off the coast near Sydney were the highest. The improved shipborne sky radiometer will contribute to a good understanding of the nature of aerosols over the ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At former Antarctic research stations, legacy waste often remains in situ and concealed by ice. Consequently, the location, characteristics and potential environmental impact associated with legacy waste remains poorly documented. This study applies ground magnetometry to map the spatial extent of the landfill at the abandoned Wilkes Station. Magnetic anomalies indicate that the landfill extends north-west to south-east and is close to, and perhaps prograding into, the ocean. The landfill is characterized by large magnetic variations of > 1500 nT with asymmetrical magnetic anomalies which suggest variable orientations of material and random dumping. Magnetic susceptibilities > 0.02SI units beyond the landfill area reveal elevated magnetic properties of the basement geology. However, a contrast in anomaly shape reliably distinguishes large anomalies generated by landfill material. Surface and subsurface melt streams (observed at the shoreline) flowing from the survey area suggest elevated potential for metal contamination of the nearshore and marine environment. The survey demonstrates a cost-effective and non-invasive method for gathering information to guide the clean up of landfills beneath ice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific research in Antarctica requires international cooperation due to the magnitude of the objectives, the particular conditions of the Antarctic environment, and also because the Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959 and entered into force in 1961, recognizes scientific research and international cooperation as important pillars. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), established in 1958, is the organisation responsible for promoting and coordinating scientific research in the Antarctic region (including the Southern Ocean) and for providing scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty System and to other international bodies on Antarctica. This paper illustrates how SCAR operates to accomplish its mission and how it is organized to develop and coordinate the researches carried out by a large scientific community belonging to the - as of 2013 - 37 SCAR member countries. The five SCAR Scientific Research Programmes initiated in 2013 are a framework that will orientate a significant part of the research efforts during the next four to eight years. These programmes are highlighted in this paper, as well as other initiatives currently carried out by SCAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper describes the design process of a photovoltaic (PV)-wind power system to be installed in the very challenging ambient conditions of the French-Italian Antarctic Base. Concordia Base has been built with the collaboration of Italian consortium PRNA, French Polar Institute IPEV and European Space Agency ESA. It is one of the three bases not located on the coast and is open all the year. The electrical load of the base, presently supplied by three diesel generators, has been previously characterised measuring the relevant quantities during a period of one year. During the same year an experimental campaign has been conducted to collect the necessary solar irradiance and wind data of the site. Models of the PV panels and of the wind turbine, previously set up and validated, have been used to simulate the plant behaviour and to estimate the possible contribution of renewable energies to the Concordia Antarctic Base supply in the different seasons. Finally, some economical aspects are discussed and the payback period is calculated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

European Steel Design Award 2013 für Antarktische Forschungsstation Bharati Neuer Nachwuchs-Förderpreis für vorbeugenden Brandschutz FIDIC Gold Book in deutscher Fassung beim VBI Deutscher Fassadenpreis für VHF 2013 EnOB-Symposium 2014 - Innovationen in Neubau und Sanierung EnEV 2013: DIBt wird Registrierstelle [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Global Positioning System (GPS) data collected during years 1997-2007 at Maitri along with the International GNSS Service (IGS) stations viz. Casey, Davis, Yaragadee, Tidbinbilla, Seychelles, Coco, Diego Garcia, Kerguelen and Hartbeesthoek in and around Indian Ocean were processed using Bernese. 4.2 software. The baseline length and their changes were estimated and spectral analysis was carried out subsequently. The value of the Hurst exponent, as estimated from the slope of spectral fall-off of each time series of baseline length, was used to interpret the characteristics of the plate motions in the region. The Hurst exponent is found to be 0.65 (>0.5) for the baseline length between stations Kerguelen and Coco clearly showing a constant increasing trend of the changes in baseline length. The time series of baseline lengths between stations Kerguelen and Diego Garcia; and Tidbinbilla and Yaragadee shows an increasing trend and the Hurst exponent is close to 0.5. This may suggest that the diffuse plate boundary zone and the Australian plate are moving away from the Antarctican plate. The baseline length between Kerguelen and Davis, Casey, Maitri and Seychelles is less than 0.5, which indicates that the baseline length of these stations shows a decreasing trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of measurements of ground temperature in the context of general meteorological conditions at the Henryk Arctowski Station (King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctic) from the period of 20 January 2013 to 22 February 2013. The measurements were taken using a Vantage Pro+ automatic weather station and the thermal conditions of the ground were measured by means of a HOBO automatic data logger. The variability of ground temperature was analysed in an annual and diurnal cycle. A clear recurrent diurnal pattern was observed in the summer season, resulting from more favourable insolation conditions in that part of the year. In the winter, on the other hand, no major differences in the diurnal cycle of ground temperature were found, particularly with a dense snow cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Samples of surface snow were collected for stable isotope analysis along the traverse route from Zhongshan to Dome A (East Antarctica) from Dec 28th, 2007 to Feb. 8th, 2008. The local relationship between δD and surface temperature is established to be 6.4 ± 0.2 ‰ per °C, very similar to the average for East Antarctic. The deuterium excess shows a pattern of high values over Antarctica, particularly at Dome A. We compare our data with an atmospheric general circulation model which includes stable water isotopes (ECHAM5-wiso). The model simulation captures the right levels of δD, but overestimates δO. This study provides support for the ongoing deep ice core project at Dome A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors present a new, observationally based estimate of the atmospheric energy budget for the Antarctic polar cap (the region poleward of 70°S). This energy budget is constructed using state-of-the-art reanalysis products from ECMWF [the ECMWF Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim)] and Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiative fluxes for the period 2001-10. The climatological mean Antarctic energy budget is characterized by an approximate balance between the TOA net outgoing radiation and the horizontal convergence of atmospheric energy transport, with the net surface energy flux and atmospheric energy storage generally being small in comparison. Variability in the energy budget on intraseasonal-to-interannual time scales bears a strong signature of the southern annular mode (SAM), with El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) having a smaller impact. The energy budget framework is shown to be a useful alternative to the SAM for interpreting surface climate variability in the Antarctic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phillip Law is renowned as the first and best-recognized Director of the Australian Antarctic Division, responsible for conduct of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) 1947-66, with the emphasis on science. He established most of the ANARE traditions and oversaw the location and establishment of all Australian Antarctic stations. He was widely recognized and decorated for both national and international influence. His main trait was perseverance in fighting to achieve his goals. In 1966, he became Chief Executive of the Victoria Institute of Colleges to develop, highly successfully, non-university tertiary education in Victoria. Throughout his professional career, he was a prolific diarist, writer and publicist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Space Station (ISS) and the Antarctic Research Station Concordia are confined and isolated habitats in extreme and hostile environments. The human and habitat microflora can alter due to the special environmental conditions resulting in microbial contamination and health risk for the crew. In this study, 29 isolates from the ISS and 55 from the Antarctic Research Station Concordia belonging to the genera Staphylococcus and Enterococcus were investigated. Resistance to one or more antibiotics was detected in 75.8 % of the ISS and in 43.6 % of the Concordia strains. The corresponding resistance genes were identified by polymerase chain reaction in 86 % of the resistant ISS strains and in 18.2 % of the resistant Concordia strains. Plasmids are present in 86.2 % of the ISS and in 78.2 % of the Concordia strains. Eight Enterococcus faecalis strains (ISS) harbor plasmids of about 130 kb. Relaxase and/or transfer genes encoded on plasmids from gram-positive bacteria like pIP501, pRE25, pSK41, pGO1 and pT181 were detected in 86.2 % of the ISS and in 52.7 % of the Concordia strains. Most pSK41-homologous transfer genes were detected in ISS isolates belonging to coagulase-negative staphylococci. We demonstrated through mating experiments that Staphylococcus haemolyticus F2 (ISS) and the Concordia strain Staphylococcus hominis subsp. hominis G2 can transfer resistance genes to E. faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Biofilm formation was observed in 83 % of the ISS and in 92.7 % of the Concordia strains. In conclusion, the ISS isolates were shown to encode more resistance genes and possess a higher gene transfer capacity due to the presence of three vir signature genes, virB1, virB4 and virD4 than the Concordia isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the daily observed temperature at the Faraday/Vernadsky station in the Antarctic Peninsula for the period February 1947 through January 2011. Faraday/Vernadsky is experiencing a significant warming trend of about 0.6 °C/decade over the last few decades. Concurrently, the magnitude of extremely cold temperatures has reduced while there is no evidence for an increase of the annual maximum temperature. An empirical mode decomposition reveals that most of the temperature variability occurs on intraannual time scales and that changes in the magnitude of the annual cycle can be explained by a simple periodic stochastic process. Extremely cold temperatures below a threshold follow a generalised Pareto distribution (GPD) with a negative shape parameter and thus are bounded. We find that the extremely cold behaviour in the first half of the record is significantly different from the second half. At the same time there is no evident increase of warm temperatures or in the location of the maximum of the temperature probability distribution. These findings provide evidence that at Faraday/Vernadsky, it is the change in the shape of the temperature distribution that has substantially contributed to the observed warming over the last few decades. Furthermore, we find evidence for clustering of extreme cold events and show that they are predictable a few days in advance using a precursor-based prediction scheme. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The McMurdo Research Station medical facility functions at the level of a rural community hospital emergency department. Telehealth technology has played an increasingly important role in providing intercontinental tertiary healthcare consultations, particularly for assistance with diagnostically challenging cases or cases involving complicated medical management. The role of telehealth in Antarctica is vital given the harsh and remote environment. The following case discusses a real-time tele-ultrasound consultation between the station physician and a patient with pericarditis at the McMurdo Medical Clinic in Antarctica and a team of cardiology consultants at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX. The use of teleheath technologies prevented an unnecessary intercontinental medical evacuation and allowed the patient to receive treatment at the McMurdo Research Station. This case report demonstrates that real-time tele-ultrasound can serve as an important diagnostic resource in the delivery of healthcare to isolated populations in remote environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]