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This is an archive section with links to former Expert Groups (EGs) and Action Groups (AGs) which have finished. For groups which ended before 2014, please see
the original archived website
. For former Research Programmes, see
Former SRPs
The study of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean and their role in the global Earth system has never been more important as the region is experiencing dramatic changes that have global implications.  The climatic, physical and biological properties of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are closely coupled to other parts of the global environment by the oceans and the atmosphere.  In 2009, SCAR published the landmark
Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment
Report.
In 2022, the
Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment: A Decadal Synopsis and Recommendations for Action
was published.
The Expert Group on Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment acted as an umbrella for SCAR activities and
produced the yearly update to the ACCE report
Background
The Antarctic continent and Southern Ocean are extremely important parts of the global physical/biological system, linked to the rest of the Earth in often highly non-linear ways. Research has shown that to understand how planet Earth works we need to study it increasingly as a system, and understand the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, the biosphere and the atmosphere. One of the remotest parts of the Earth system is Antarctica, a continent larger than either Australia or Europe. We will not be able to fully understand how the Earth system works without comprehensive knowledge of the physical, biological, chemical and geological processes taking place within and above Antarctica and its surrounding Southern Ocean. That is a huge challenge given that these processes take place among some of the remotest and harshest environments anywhere on the Earth’s surface.
Much has been achieved in acquiring knowledge of Antarctica’s physical, biological, chemical and geological processes, especially since a network of permanent scientific stations was established for the first time on the continent during the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58. Many more results also emerged from the
International Polar Year of 2007-2008
With the increasing emphasis on cross-disciplinary Antarctic studies in the early years of this century, SCAR started a series of regular meetings that focussed of developing better links between those working in the physical and biological sciences. Out of this grew an initiative that became known as Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment (ACCE), which was seem as a southern counterpart to the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (
ACIA
). The goal was to prepare a volume that reviewed our present understanding of the physical and chemical climate system of the Antarctic region, the way it varies through time, and the profound influence of that variation on life on land and in the ocean around the continent. It would also examine predictions of how the system would evolve over the next century under conditions of increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases and recovery of the ozone hole.
Inputs were obtained through a process of open consultation with the wider community in which scientists affiliated with SCAR or known to be active in climate and environmental sciences in Antarctica or the Southern Ocean were asked for text on key topics. A first draft was then circulated to the wider community for comment in June 2008. The Editorial Board then modified the text for a second round of open consultation in March 2009. Parties to the Antarctic Treaty, representatives of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (
CCAMLR
), and representatives of the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes (
COMNAP
) were also asked for input. Eventually over 100 scientists from various fields contributed to the volume, which was published in 2009 as Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment. They are listed alphabetically as authors of the appropriate chapters after the chapter editor.
Five hundred copies of the volume were published and distributed widely to the Antarctic community and beyond. In addition, individual downloadable chapters were made available on the SCAR website, so as to encourage its widespread use as a research and teaching resource. The volume was a contribution to the International Polar Year 2007-2008 and to the goals of the World Climate Research Programme (
WCRP
), and in particular to its Climate and Cryosphere programme (
CliC
), of which SCAR is a co-sponsor. It was also made available to attendees at the meeting of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen in December 2009, and subsequently to the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
. Brief, annual updates on advances in Antarctic climate-related science were also provided to the
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings
. However, Antarctic science is advancing very rapidly with important papers regularly being reported in the popular press. It was therefore felt that a revision to the original ACCE volume would be appropriate. But rather than produce another hardcopy book it was decided to convert the original material into a wiki so as to make it easier to revise the text.
The preparation of the ACCE wiki was carried out by Mr Tony Phillips and Mr Guy Phillips using the open source Mediawiki software. We are grateful to the
British Antarctic Survey
for hosting the wiki.
Terms of Reference
The Terms of Reference of the group were to:
Coordinate research across SCAR on past and potential future climate change over the Antarctic continent and in the Southern Ocean and potential impact on the biota;
Advise the SCAR Delegates on areas where research is needed;
Work with SCADM to provide advice to SCAR groups who require access to climate data;
Lead the preparation of the annual report to the ATCM on recent advances in climate-related research relevant to the Antarctic, including scientific advice relevant to the recommendations arising from the Antarctic Treaty Meeting of Experts on Climate Change and Implications for Antarctic Management and Governance;
Prepare updates and supplements to the Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment (2009) report as necessary;
Advise on the involvement of SCAR with bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on matters relevant to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean;
Liaise with CCAMLR on matters relevant to climate and the biosphere.
Links
Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment: an update
(published in Polar Record, 18 April 2013)
YouTube interview introducing the update report
, by the editor Prof. John Turner.
Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment Wiki
Publications
Title
Date
Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment (2009)
(pdf, 10.84 MB)
25 Nov 2009
Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment: A Decadal Synopsis and Recommendations for Action
(pdf, 15.16 MB)
24 May 2022
Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment: Addendum and Corrections
(pdf, 37 KB)
01 Dec 2009
Programme of Summer School 6 Feb 2018
(pdf, 264 KB)
21 Feb 2018
The Antarctic Gravity Wave Instrument Network (ANGWIN) was a SCAR Action Group from 2018 to 2024. It was a scientist-driven initiative focused on building a collaborative network of Antarctic gravity wave observatories. The project aimed to enhance understanding of gravity wave activity over Antarctica and its influence on global circulation by utilizing observatories at existing Antarctic research stations.
Initially started with a focus on mesospheric airglow observations, ANGWIN expanded to include all gravity wave instrumentation. By fostering international collaboration, standardizing analysis methods, and combining resources, ANGWIN worked to address the need for comprehensive, continent-wide observations of gravity waves across all atmospheric levels.
The primary objectives of the network were to:
Quantify the longitudinal variation in gravity wave activity from the lower atmosphere into the mesosphere and lower thermosphere above Antarctica, and determine causes.
Characterise the propagation and dynamical influence of mountain waves on stratosphere and MLT dynamics.
Relate gravity waves observed in the stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere to sources such as storms in the Drake’s Passage and Southern Ocean, auroral activity or the polar vortex.
Study the interaction of gravity waves with global scale waves and their contribution to the polar vortex dynamical and thermal structure.
Compare observed polar gravity wave characteristics to parameterized gravity waves in climate models.
Determine the potential effects of Antarctic gravity waves on processes such as polar stratospheric cloud formation.
ANGWIN was chaired by Tracy Moffat-Griffin (British Antarctic Survey, UK). Other members of the group included:
Mitsumu K. Ejiri (National Institute of Polar Research, Japan)
Geonhwa Jee (Korea Polar Research Institute, Republic of Korea
Damian Murphy (Australian Antarctic Division, Australia)
Takuji Nakamura (National Institute of Polar Research, Japan)
Mike Taylor (Utah State University, USA)
Jose Valentin Bageston (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), Brazil)
Data
Instrument database
The ANGWIN community aims to provide a comprehensive list of ground based instruments that can observe gravity wave activity in the atmosphere and ionosphere from the Antarctic and Arctic. This database will provide information on the types of measurements made, relevant website links, PI contact details, and dataset length.
If you wish to add you instruments to this database please contact Dr. Tracy Moffat-Griffin who will provide you with a template to fill in.
More information on the instrument database is available on the
ANGWIN page of the BAS website
Links
ANGWIN Twitter feed:
@ANGWIN_2
Original ANGWIN project webpage
British Antarctic Survey’s Atmosphere, Ice and Climate teamAtmosphere, Ice and Climate team
Publications
The SCAR Connecting Geophysics with Geology (CGG) was a SCAR Action Group that aimed to identify highest-priority areas where lineaments and/or apparent tectonic block boundaries intersect with outcrops, provide improved geological maps, improve connections to adjacent continents within Gondwana/Rodinia and project the knowledge of these into Antarctica, and identify worthy drill sites for basement recovery and connect to other Antarctic drilling communities.
The aims and objectives of the group were to:
Identify highest priority areas where lineaments and/or apparent tectonic block boundaries intersect with outcrops
Coordinate and develop multinational capabilities in geophysics and geology
Plan and initiate international expeditions to key areas
Provide improved geological maps, specifically in logistically demanding areas
Improve connections to adjacent continents within Gondwana/Rodinia and project the knowledge of these into Antarctica
Identify worthy drill sites for basement recovery and connect to other Antarctic drilling communities
The CGG Action Group noted key areas that required detailed geological fieldwork and targeted geophysical studies to understand significant geophysical lineaments and tectonic boundaries, with many regions still unmapped. It was noted that systematic aerogeophysical surveys were beginning to uncover sub-ice geology across the continent.
One key area for unravelling the geodynamic evolution of East Antarctica had been identified in central Dronning Maud Land, where the major Forster Magnetic Anomaly, a possible suture zone, appeared to dissect the Dronning Maud Land mountains. The aerogeophysics of this key region was being improved as a joint AWI-BGR effort. The action group had strong links to
IGCP 648: Supercontinent Cycles & Global Geodynamics
and had cross-link interest with the
ADMAP Expert Group
In 2024, with the approval of the Antarctic Geospace and ATmosphere reseArch (AGATA) as SCAR’s new Scientific Research Programme (SRP), the CGG was merged into the new AGATA SRP.
CGG was jointly chaired by:
Joachim Jacobs (University of Bergen and Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway)
Fausto Ferraccioli (Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS), Italy)
Andreas Läufer (Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Germany)
Links
The CGG Action Group has strong links to
IGCP 648: Supercontinent Cycles & Global Geodynamics
, to which it actively contributes.
Publications
CGG papers:
2016
Aitken, A., Betts, P., Young, D., Blankenship, D., Roberts, J., & Siegert, M. (2016). The Australo- Antarctic Columbia to Gondwana transition. Gondwana Research, 29(1), 136-152.
doi:10.1016/ j.gr.2014.10.019
Bauer, W., Siemes, H., Spaeth, G., & Jacobs, J. (2016). Transpression and tectonic exhumation in the Heimefrontfjella, western orogenic front of the East African/Antarctic Orogen, revealed by quartz textures of high strain domains. Polar Research, 35(0). doi:10.3402/polar.v35.25420
Davey, F. J., Granot, R., Cande, S. C., Stock, J. M., Selvans, M., & Ferraccioli, F. (2016). Synchronous oceanic spreading and continentalrifting in West Antarctica. Geophys. Res. Lett. Geophysical Research Letters, 43(12), 6162-6169. doi:10.1002/2016gl069087
Elburg, M. A., Andersen, T., Jacobs, J., Läufer, A., Ruppel, A., Krohne, N., & Damaske, D. (2016). One Hundred Fifty Million Years of Intrusive Activity in the Sør Rondane Mountains (East Antarctica): Implications for Gondwana Assembly. The Journal of Geology, 124(1), 1-26. doi:10.1086/684052
Frederick, B. C., Young, D. A., Blankenship, D. D., Richter, T. G., Kempf, S. D., Ferraccioli, F., & Siegert, M. J. (2016). Distribution of subglacial sediments across the Wilkes Subglacial Basin, East Antarctica. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface J. Geophys. Res. Earth Surf., 121(4), 790- 813. doi:10.1002/2015jf003760
2015
Elburg, M., Jacobs, J., Andersen, T., Clark, C., Läufer, A., Ruppel, A., . . . Damaske, D. (2015). Early Neoproterozoic metagabbro-tonalite-trondhjemite of Sør Rondane (East Antarctica): Implications for supercontinentassembly.PrecambrianResearch,259,189-206. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2014.10.014
Ferraccioli, F. (2015). Antarctic frontiers as revealed from a decade of aerogeophysicalexploration. EAGE/DGG Workshop on Airborne Geophysics 2015. doi:10.3997/2214-4609.201411994
Jacobs,J., Elburg, M., Läufer, A., Kleinhanns, I. C., Henjes-Kunst, F., Estrada, S., . . . Bea, F. (2015). Two distinct Late Mesoproterozoic/Early Neoproterozoic basement provinces in central/eastern DronningMaudLand,EastAntarctica:Themissinglink,15–21°E. PrecambrianResearch,265,249- 272. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2015.05.003
Ksienzyk, A. K., & Jacobs,J. (2015). Western Australia-Kalahari (WAlahari) connection in Rodinia: Not supported by U/Pb detrital zircon data from the Maud Belt (East Antarctica) and the Northampton Complex (Western Australia). Precambrian Research, 259,207-221. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2014.11.020
Ruppel, A. S., Läufer, A., Jacobs,J., Elburg, M., Krohne, N., Damaske, D., & Lisker, F. (2015). The Main Shear Zone in Sør Rondane, East Antarctica: Implications for the late-Pan-African tectonic evolution of Dronning Maud Land. Tectonics, 34(6), 1290-1305. doi:10.1002/2014tc003763
2014
Mieth, M., Jacobs, J., Ruppel, A., Damaske, D., Läufer, A., & Jokat, W. (2014). New detailed aeromagnetic and geological data of eastern Dronning Maud Land: Implications for refining the tectonic and structural framework of Sør Rondane, East Antarctica. Precambrian Research, 245, 174- 185. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2014.02.009
Mieth, M., & Jokat, W. (2014). New aeromagnetic view of the geological fabric of southern Dronning Maud Land and Coats Land, East Antarctica. Gondwana Research, 25(1), 358-367.
doi:10.1016/ j.gr.2013.04.003
Aitken, A. R., Young, D. A., Ferraccioli, F., Betts, P. G., Greenbaum, J. S., Richter, T. G., . . . Siegert, M.J.(2014). ThesubglacialgeologyofWilkesLand,EastAntarctica.Geophys.Res.Lett.Geophysical Research Letters, 41(7), 2390-2400. doi:10.1002/2014gl059405
2013
Riedel, S., Jacobs,J.,&Jokat,W.(2013). Interpretationofnewregionalaeromagnetic dataover Dronning Maud Land (East Antarctica). Tectonophysics, 585, 161-171. doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2012.10.011
Golynsky, A., Bell, R., Blankenship, D., Damaske, D., Ferraccioli, F., Finn, C., . . . Young, D. (2013). Air and shipborne magnetic surveys of the Antarctic into the 21st century. Tectonophysics, 585, 3-12. doi:10.1016/ j.tecto.2012.02.017
Jordan, T., Ferraccioli, F., Armadillo, E., & Bozzo, E. (2013). Crustal architecture of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, as revealed from airborne gravity data. Tectonophysics, 585, 196- 206. doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2012.06.041
Reports
The action group on Environmental Contamination in Antarctica (ECA) ended in 2014.
During the SCAR Conference held in St Petersburg in June 2008, the Standing Scientific Group on Physical Sciences agreed to continue ECA. During the same meeting the 2nd ECA workshop took place; there, the data collected by the groups formed during the 1st workshop (held in Venice) were presented and discussed.
The following priorities were identified for future activities:
to support the integration of the ECA data base in the JCADM by construction of one dedicated portal;
to recognize and separate local sources (bases, aircrafts, ships, traverses) from global contaminant signatures by identifying proxies of the potential sources. In this activity, the national individuals/officers responsible for the application of the Madrid protocol relevant to environmental impact monitoring of the logistic and scientific activities should be involved;
to optimize the use of samples collected for environmental characterization purposes and warranty reliable data by:
defining the role of specimen banks (international collaboration);
organizing proficiency tests for trace contaminant determination in environmental matrices which should take into account the possibility of preparing specific Antarctic reference materials;
to organize the 3rd ECA workshop aimed at:
completing datasets for environmental contaminants;
identifying gaps in the existing data;
defining topics for joint research projects on environmental contamination in Antarctica.
The 3rd ECA workshop took place in Venice from 22-23 June 2009. The programme presented contributions from scientists involved in programmes dealing with ECA and studying the transport of micro-components and pollutants in polar regions.
The main aims of the ECA group were:
Analysis and comparison of national research projects.
Coordination of studies on the Environmental Contamination in Polar Regions.
To identify new research subjects for a better understanding and analysis of Environment Contamination on a global scale.
Start up and implementation of an international program on the Environmental Contamination in Polar Regions
The Antarctic Wildlife Health Network was founded in 2014 by Andres Barbosa at the 6th SCAR Open Science Conference and was a working group within SCAR’s
Expert Group on Birds and Marine Mammals
. The Action Group ended in 2024. The group consisted of scientists that have an interest in the health of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic wildlife. Their mission was to coordinate and lead international action on wildlife health to support Antarctica’s wildlife health and biodiversity.
Members conducted scientific research and provide expertise on Antarctic wildlife health and disease. Our membership consisted of biologists, wildlife veterinarians, microbiologists, virologists, parasitologists, immunologists, molecular biologists and pathologists.
The group’s mission was to coordinate and lead international action on wildlife health to support Antarctica’s wildlife health and biodiversity.
The group’s vision was to coordinate the research and assessment on wildlife health and to establish protocols, provide training and recommendations for the prevention and management of introductions of pathogens, disease outbreaks, and anthropogenic impacts that could affect wildlife health or lead to mass mortality events in Antarctica.
Why was the group we needed?
Antarctica is suffering environmental changes due to global change, including climate change and local human activities, that could increase the risk of the introduction of new pathogenic organisms, outbreaks of endemic pathogens or a reduction in the ability of birds and marine mammals to adequately respond to disease due to immunosuppression associated with stress or the effects of environmental pollutants. Current knowledge on pathogens, parasites and viruses in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic wildlife is scarce with limited baseline data or ongoing monitoring programmes.
Two key priorities listed in SCAR’s
Horizon Scan
, ‘Understanding how climate change will affect the risk of spreading emerging infectious diseases in Antarctica?’ (Q56) and ‘how will humans, diseases and pathogens change, impact and adapt to the extreme Antarctic environment?’ (Q80), are a key focus on the network.
Sub-Antarctic and Antarctic Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Monitoring Project
Aims
To monitor the health status of Antarctic birds and marine mammals.
To provide advice and risk assessments to the
Antarctic Treaty System
, the
Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP)
, the
Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
, the
Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP)
, SCAR’s
Standing Committee on the Antarctic Treaty System (SCATS)
and
EG‐BAMM
about matters related to health and disease status of Antarctic wildlife.
To coordinate research about the health of Antarctic wildlife, identifying scientific gaps and compiling the existent information.
Establishment and coordination of a “Disease Surveillance Network” for wildlife in the Southern Ocean (including Antarctica and sub-Antarctic wildlife).
To promote the generation of knowledge and information about the presence and effects of pathogens and parasites on Antarctic birds and marine mammals.
To work with other components and scientific programmes of SCAR (
Ant-ICON
ImPACT
JEGHBM
EG‐ABI
AntaBIF
) and key Antarctic Research Initiatives (e.g.
Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future
) to achieve multidisciplinary approaches to animal health issues.
Projects
Conduct a risk assessment for Avian Influenza in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic;
Conduct a risk assessment for Antarctic and sub-Antarctic wildlife for health in the Southern Ocean, including identification of major threats to wildlife health;
Establishment and coordination of a “Disease Surveillance Network/Database” for wildlife in the Southern Ocean (including Antarctica and sub-Antarctic wildlife);
Biobank and Sample Database;
Coordination of Epidemiological research and ecological models on wildlife health and risk of disease outbreaks;
Organisation of workshops on wildlife health and disease in polar regions.
Members
The chair of the Antarctic Wildlife Health Network working group was Meagan Dewar (Federation University Australia).
Committee Members (invitation only):
Adrian Smith (Oxford University, United Kingdom)
Amandine Gamble (Cornell University, New York, USA)
Arvind Varsani (Arizona State University. USA)
Clive McMahon (Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Tasmania, Australia)
Gary Miller (Tasmania, Australia)
Hendrik Rollens (Pacific Marine Mammal Centre, USA)
Jane Younger (IMAS, University of Tasmania, Australia)
Julia I. Diaz (Center for Parasite and Vectors, CONICET, Argentina)
Michelle Power (University of Macquarie, Australia)
Michelle Wille (University of Sydney, Australia)
Rachael Gray (University of Sydney, Australia)
Ralph Vanstreels (IPRAM, Brazil)
Rupert Woods (Wildlife Health Australia).
Soledad Leonardi (Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos)
Thierry Boulinier (Center for Evolutionary and Functional Ecology (CEFE), CNRS – Université Montpellier / French Polar Institute (IPEV), France)
Tom Hart (Penguin Watch, Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom)
Virginia Morandini (National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC), Spai)
Wray Grimaldi (Encintas, California, USA)
Past Members
Andrés Barbosa (Founder, Previous Chair)
Daniel Gonzalez Acuña (Founding Member)
Publications
Meagan Dewar, Michelle Wille, Amandine Gamble, Ralph Vanstreels, Thierry Boulinier, Adrian Smith, Arvind Varsani, Norman Ratcliffe, Jennifer Black, Amanda Lynnes (2023). The Risk of Avian Influenza in the Southern OceanA practical guide for operators interacting with wildlife. EcoEvoRxiv (Preprint),
Boulinier, T. (2023). Avian influenza spread and seabird movements between colonies. Trends in Ecology and Evolution (In Press)
Andrés Barbosa, Arvind Varsani, Virginia Morandini, Wray Grimaldi, Ralph ET Vanstreels, Julia I Diaz, Thierry Boulinier, Meagan Dewar, Daniel González-Acuña, Rachael Gray, Clive R McMahon, Gary Miller, Michelle Power, Amandine Gamble, Michelle Wille. (2021). Risk assessment of SARS-CoV-2 in Antarctic wildlife. Science of the Total Environment, 755, Part 2: 143352
Julia I Diaz, Bruno Fusaro, Virginia Vidal, Daniel González-Acuña, Erli Schneider Costa, Meagan Dewar, Rachael Gray, Michelle Power, Gary Miller, Michaela Blyton, Ralph Vanstreels, Andrés Barbosa (2017). Macroparasites in Antarctic Penguins. Biodiversity and Evolution of Parasitic Life in the Southern Ocean. S. Klimpel, T. Kuhn and H. Mehlhorn. Cham, Springer International Publishing: 183-204.
Andres Barbosa, Erli Schneider Costa, Meagan Dewar, Daniel González-Acuña, Rachael Gray, Michelle Power, Ralph Eric Thijl Vanstreels. (2015). Antarctic wildlife diseases.
The Earth Observation Action Group (EOAG) was a SCAR Action Group from 2018 to 2024. EOAG aimed to be a permanent advocate for the acquisition of all types of satellite data over the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region (up to 60° S) from multiple space agencies, recommending the type of satellite observations needed to measure Essential Climate Variables (ECV’s) relevant to the Polar regions, and recommending how best to preserve the long term continuity of satellite Earth Observation data records.
Objectives
The objectives of EOAG were to:
Be a permanent advocate for acquiring all types of satellite data over the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region (up to 60° S) from multiple space agencies, as was successfully done in the International Polar Year (IPY).
Make recommendations about the type and accuracy of satellite observations required in order to measure Essential Climate Variables (ECV’s) relevant to the Polar Regions.
Identify a program of grand science challenges which can best be tackled with Earth Observation data.
Advocate for and make recommendations about how best to preserve the long term continuity of satellite Earth Observation data records.
EOAG was chaired by Anna Hogg (University of Leeds, UK). Committee Members of the group included:
Helen Fricker (University of Leeds, UK)
Ian Joughin (University of Washington, USA)
Stefan Hendricks (Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Germany)
Ted Scambos (National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), USA)
Matthew England (University of New South Wales, Australia)
Michel Van Roozendael (Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Belgium)
Tamsin Edwards (Kings College London, UK)
Chris Banks (National Oceanography Centre (NOC), UK)
Other representatives from existing SCAR groups included:
Rene Forsberg (Danish Technical University (DTU), Denmark)
Matthew A. Lazzara (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA)
In 2021, the Remote Sensing group merged with the Earth Observation group. The EOAG group completed its work in 2024.
Terms of Reference
The motivation for setting up a SCAR Earth Observation Action Group (EOAG) is threefold. Firstly, we now have over 30 years of science-quality, multi-technique, satellite observations of Antarctica which are held in space agencies globally. Although there’s a clear move towards a free and open data policy in the US and Europe for newly acquired satellite data, preserving long-term data archives of historical data still requires funding, even though it’s not necessarily the new and exciting topic. This is not trivial when you consider for historical missions like ERS-1, active in the early 1990’s, this has already involved migrating the data archive from tapes, to CD’s to online archives. There are now examples of published datasets that have been lost during the moves. As historical observations are critical for disentangling short term temporary variability from long term permanent change, it is essential that international organizations like SCAR, advocate for continued preservation of these archives.
Secondly, currently flying satellite missions, such as Sentinel-1, acquire data with incomplete geographical and temporal coverage. When designing acquisition plans, the space agencies require guidance from the scientific community about where to prioritise in the acquisition plan. For SAR data over land ice, groups such as the Polar Space Task Group consult interested members of the community, but again a long-term, considered plan from a full, multidisciplinary community would be a really valuable input that SCAR can coordinate.
Finally, when existing satellite missions will come to the end of their life without a follow-on satellite mission secured, recommendations from SCAR about the value of securing future data continuity would be extremely valuable. Despite a constant increase in the number and type of active Earth observation missions, the danger of an observational gap for measuring essential parameters still exists. For example, there is a danger we will lose our ability to measure sea ice extent and thickness over oceans without new passive microwave radiometer and high latitude altimeters being procured; and there will be a reduction in the spatial resolution with which we can monitor ice sheet elevation change on the most rapidly thinning ice sheet margins unless a new synthetic aperture radar interferometer mode altimeter is funded. As an independent and community driven organization, recommendations from SCAR may be used to influence these major decisions over the coming 5 to 10 years.
Given SCAR’s almost unique position as an independent, international voice for Antarctica, our ambition is that this Action Group will become a permanent feature of SCAR, transitioning to an Expert Group after the next four years. International space agencies have identified a need for independent, objective, scientific advice on which they can base their acquisition of new satellite data, and planning for future missions which offer the only method of continuously monitoring the Antarctic continent and surrounding region.
The objectives and activities will be
guided by one chair and a steering committee, the number of which is not fixed. The group represents the multidisciplinary scientific and operational community who require satellite observations of land, ice, ocean and atmospheric parameters, in the southern hemisphere. The group is made up of an international panel of experts covering the range of disciplines, who are independent of the organizations (primarily national space agencies) that are responsible for acquiring the satellite data. At least one member of our steering committee will be early career, and we will aim for gender and diversity balance. The leadership of our group and the members of the steering committee can be addressed at every annual meeting.
Links
EOAG has links to other SCAR Groups:
Solid Earth Response and Influence on Cryosphere Evolution (SERCE)
Operational Meteorology in the Antarctic (OpMet)
Publications
The SCAR GeoMAP (Geological Mapping Update of Antarctica) action group was an international effort to gather both rock and surficial deposit information and compile it into a modern GIS framework. The group ended in 2020, having met its aim with the release of an initial draft geological dataset v.2019-07, but GNS Science has continued working and improving these data (latest release v.2022-08). More information can be found on the
GeoMAP resource page
The group was led by Simon Cox and Paul Morin, with help from many other people and organisations (view the
list of members, collaborators and supporters
from 2019). Work started from a continent-scale, low density, attribute-poor dataset in 2015 that was added to and improved through multiple iterations during 2018-2022. It involved capturing existing geological map data, refining its spatial reliability, then improving representation of glacial sequences and geomorphology. GeoMAP depicts ‘known geology’ of rock exposures rather than ‘interpreted’ sub-ice features and is aimed towards continent-wide perspectives and cross-discipline interrogation.
Access the
GeoMAP Download Page
Access
GeoMAP Metadata
GeoMAP material is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
. The following citation for GeoMAP.v.2022-08 is suggested:
Cox, Simon Christopher; Smith Lyttle, Belinda; Elkind, Samuel; Smith Siddoway, Christine; Morin, Paul; Capponi, Giovanni; Abu-Alam, Tamer; Ballinger, Matilda; Bamber, Lauren; Kitchener, Brett; Lelli, Luigi; Mawson, Jasmine F; Millikin, Alexie; Dal Seno, Nicola; Whitburn, Louis; White, Tristan; Burton-Johnson, Alex; Crispini, Laura; Elliot, David; Elvevold, Synnove; Goodge, John W; Halpin, Jacqueline A; Jacobs, Joachim; Mikhalsky, Eugene; Martin, Adam P; Morgan, Fraser; Smellie, John; Scadden, Phil; Wilson, Gary (2023): The GeoMAP (v.2022-08) continent-wide detailed geological dataset of Antarctica. PANGAEA,
A GeoMAP web-based explorer can be accessed directly through
Antarctic Explorer
Access
detailed GeoMAP documentation
A History of GeoMAP
Why?
There are numerous, hard-copy, regional-scale geological maps of Antarctica that were developed last century. Many have been scanned, some have been geo-referenced, but few are more than raster digital information. For the most part they are geologically reliable for defining bedrock geology (‘deep time’) but unfortunately they contain little representation of glacial geology. The maps have poor spatial reliability in the context of modern science (located by GPS and other satellite sensors), and the maps have not kept pace with the present importance of Antarctica’s role in climate change.
Background
Following publication of the
New Zealand Geological Map
and the
South Victoria Land mapsheet
in 2012,
GNS Science
launched an ambitious project to build a similar high-quality, digital, geological dataset covering the entire Antarctic continent. Enthusiasm and support was sought at the 2014
Open Science Conference
in Auckland through formation of a SCAR Action Group.
Five-years later, the first (beta-testing) version of GeoMAP (v.2019-07) was released at the ISAES XIII meeting, primarily for comment and informal peer review. It then underwent a series of revisions by GNS Science which greatly improved definition of glacial sequences, classification of Antarctic Peninsula geology, and links to original mapping and spatial bibliography. The latest version (v.2022-08) contains an innovative time-space plot legend.
How?
Construction involved a ‘top-down’ work-stream, starting from a continent-scale, low density, attribute-poor dataset that has been added to and improved through multiple iterations. It involved capturing existing geological map data, refining its spatial reliability, then improving representation of glacial sequences and geomorphology. Feature classification and description rock and moraine polygons employs international
GeoSciML
data protocols to provide attribute-rich and queriable data; including bibliographic links to source maps and literature.
Around 99,000 polygons are now unified for use at 1:250000 scale, but locally have areas with higher spatial precision, founded on a mixed chronostratigraphic- and lithostratigraphic-based classification. There has been a specific focus on representation of glacial deposits because of their potential to contain records of ice fluctuations of relevance to climate change.
By Whom?
The project has involved principal collaborators from USA, Norway, Italy, UK, Australia, Russia and New Zealand, but includes contributions from at least 14 nations. Much of the manual work has been completed by an ‘engine room’ of 11 student volunteers, who visited New Zealand on SCAR or Witter-supported internships, or worked remotely by video-conferencing in return for supervision and GIS-training. Many others have provided advice, data and support.  View the
list of members, collaborators and supporters
for more information.
GNS Science’s latest contribution to GeoMAP was funded under the Regional Geological Map Archive and Datafile project, one of the Nationally Significant Collections and Databases supported by the New Zealand Government’s Strategic Science Investment Fund (contract C05X1701).
Quality and Expected Use
As the dataset has been worked on, it has improved in both its geological interpretation and spatial accuracy. One of the hardest tasks has been, and still is, building consistency and capturing the local nuances of different interpretations available. There will undoubtedly be debate as to how well this has been achieved for v.2022-08, which has geological polygons (99,080) classified into 186 chronostratigraphic units and 21 simplified geological classes. There is full-expectation that GeoMAP will continue to evolve and improve over time. As well as geological units, faults, and bibliographic sources there is a quality layer providing information on the attention various areas have received and the relative quality of the information provided (Scale Lowest=1 to Highest=5).
In many ways GeoMAP is like a spatial Wikipedia of Antarctic geology. It may not be a first port of call for specialists undertaking detailed research, but all the information is present to provide introductory overviews and bibliographic links to original work. There is potential to provide fresh perspectives, for example, through combined geological legends and interrogation of continent-wide time-space plots. GeoMAP should be ideal for continent-wide perspectives and cross-discipline science.
Objectives:
Solicit wide international representation.
Debate and decide on GIS-data structure and delivery mechanism:
Debate the relative merit of a distributed database like OneGeology, versus a centralised database model;
Ensure adopted process enables retention of academic and custodial rights (sovereignty) as/where necessary.
Convert geological maps into GIS-databases and smart web feature services.
Improve definition of glacial geology and geomorphology using satellite imagery and remote sensing, local age-dating studies.
Find a host for web services, perhaps utilising Geoserver or ArcGIS Server, in WMS smart image form or in WFS feature form (utilising GeoSciML).
Prepare paper outlining geological nomenclature and classification issues that arise.
Highlight areas for targeted research and/or the need for new geological field work.
Facilitate exchanges of early-career and other scientists with an interest in spatial representation of the geosphere.
Terms of Reference
This group aimed to facilitate an integrated programme to promote the capture of existing geological map data, update its spatial reliability, improve representation of glacial sequences and geomorphology, and enable data delivery via web-feature services.
Products
“Towards a digital dataset of the Antarctic geosphere”
– a Powerpoint presentation on the SCAR GeoMAP project, its work and the progress made up to 2016 in mapping the geosphere.
GeoMAP Newsletter, February 2016
GeoMAP Publications
GeoMAP Workshop 2015: "Towards improved geological maps of Antarctic rocks and surficial deposits"
The GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) Research and Application for Polar Environment (GRAPE) aimed to build and coordinate a robust network of international collaborations to address a variety of weather and space weather related needs at high latitudes and the polar regions (Arctic and Antarctica), through ad hoc data sharing and models development. Its work has been absorbed into the
Antarctic Geospace and ATmosphere reseArch (AGATA) programme planning group
Background
Built on the SCAR Action Group GPS for Weather and Space Weather Forecasting (GWSWF) and taking advantage of the
Interhemispheric Conjugacy Effects in Solar-Terrestrial and Aeronomy Research (ICESTAR)
experience, the GRAPE Expert Group continued efforts to build and coordinate a robust network of collaborations in order to answer a variety of space-weather-related needs through ad hoc data sharing and model development.
GRAPE was based on the use of the classical
GPS POLENET array
and the growing coverage of modern GNSS systems, on the availability of advanced modelling and on the opportunity offered by the advancing solar cycle.
Further details are on the external
GRAPE website
Terms of Reference
The main objectives of GRAPE were to:
Create and maintain distributed networks of specialized GPS/GNSS Ionospheric Scintillation and TEC Monitors particularly at high latitudes;
Identify and quantify mechanisms that cause scintillation and control interhemispheric differences, asymmetries and commonalities in scintillation occurrence and intensity as a result of the geospace environment conditions;
Develop ionospheric scintillation climatology, tracking and mitigation models to improve prediction capabilities of space weather;
Retrieve tropospheric PWV for input to weather forecast models and to develop regional PWV climatology for atmospheric sensing in remote areas.
How GRAPE worked
GRAPE was arranged into five work packages:
S-T interactions and ionospheric effects in the current solar-cycle;
– Multi-instruments investigation of the upper atmosphere plasma dynamics and scintillation generation (SuperDARN, GNSS, ionosondes, VLF, etc.)
– Scintillation climatology, TEC fluctuations, structure scale, C/N statistics, etc.
Lower atmosphere delay in GNSS based systems (water vapor reconstruction, etc.);
Modelling and models testing;
Data management strategy;
Coordination with other programmes inside and outside SCAR (e.g. URSI, CAWSES II, SuperDARN, EISCAT 3D)
Data
GRAPE focused in particular on GNSS high sampling rate (50 Hz) receivers network at bipolar latitudes. Information on raw data and related products [Total Electron Content (TEC), scintillation indices, Rate of TEC (ROT), etc.] are available at:
INGV’s Electronic Space Weather Upper Atmosphere, Italy:
www.eswua.ingv.it
GNSS Group, Belgium:
gnss.be
Madrigal Database:
cedar.openmadrigal.org/openmadrigal/
Canadian High Arctic Ionospheric Network:
chain.physics.unb.ca/chain/
South African National Space Agency:
www.sansa.org.za/
SANSA Geomagnetic data:
spaceweather.sansa.org.za – geomagnetic-data
Membership
The GRAPE group was led by
Giorgiana De Franceschi
(Chair) and
Nicolas Bergeot
(Deputy Chair).
See the
list of members
for more information on participating institutes and researchers.
Publications
A list of selected publications
by GRAPE members in journals and conference proceedings from 2012 to 2022.
Earlier GRAPE and GWSWF publications are available to view and download from
the Resources section of the external GRAPE website
GRAPE Publications
What was HASSEG?
The SCAR Humanities and Social Sciences Expert Group (HASSEG) aimed to bring together researchers in the humanities and social sciences with an interest in the Antarctic region. The group facilitated the exchange of news, publications and research ideas, held
regular conferences and workshops
, and organized research projects around different topics – the first was the Values Project – “
Exploring Antarctic Values
”.
Values Project
“Values in Antarctica: Human Connections to a Continent”
HASSEG’s main focus during the period 2010-2014 was on:
Cataloguing the range of human values associated with the southern polar continent, including both intrinsic values (such as symbolic and spiritual) and extrinsic values (such as economic and scientific), and
Studying the ways in which these values may have an impact on the level and nature of human activity in Antarctica.
The group focused their work on these aspects as the balancing of Antarctic values influences a wide range of decisions. Some of these decisions are limited to a local impact, while others may affect entire global systems, primarily via their effects on climate, culture, and international policy. Thus, understanding the extent and nature of the values that human beings place on Antarctica has large-scale and very serious implications.
Although recognising that more work needed to be done in this regard, the group was able to lay a solid foundation upon which to build with future values-related research.  The 2013 keystone publication
“Exploring Antarctic Values”
provides a good overview of the issues the work covered.
While the values project continued to play an important role in their research, their recognition as a SCAR Expert Group at the 2014 SCAR Delegates Meeting in Auckland, New Zealand, offered an opportunity to broaden their research agenda and include a wider range of projects that addressed current issues (including climate change, governance, environmental management, human engagement with Antarctica) from a humanities and social sciences perspective.
Institutional History and Structure
HASSEG was formed as an Action Group under the umbrella of SCAR in 2010 by a group of international scholars, with the aim of fostering new approaches to Antarctic research grounded in the humanities and social sciences. In 2014, it became a SCAR Expert Group.
The core group of experts that formed the group in 2010 was expanded over time to ensure a wide geographical and disciplinary representation. This core group assumed the role of a steering group, providing the leadership and strategic direction for HASSEG and responsibility for reporting to SCAR.  Leadership of the group was kept dynamic – Dr Daniela Liggett was co-chair from the group’s inception and was joined as co-chair by Dr Gary Steel (2010-12), Dr Juan Francisco Salazar, (2012-14) and finally by Prof Elizabeth Leane (from early 2015).
In 2018, HASSEG joined with the History Expert Group to become the Standing Committee on the Humanities and Social Sciences (SC-HASS).
Terms of Reference for HASSEG were:
To facilitate exchange between researchers in the humanities and social sciences interested in the Antarctic region and build a community of Antarctic humanities scholars and social scientists;
To increase the transparency around Antarctic-related humanities and social sciences research;
To identify and progress group research projects (such as the
“Exploring Antarctic Values”
project); and
To liaise with the SCAR Secretariat, Executive Committee and Delegates as well as other SCAR committees and research groups and provide advice and input where relevant and as requested.
The original aim of the History Action Group was to obtain insight into the development of how Antarctic research was institutionalized within SCAR. The goal was to study to what degree research in the Antarctic has been driven by scientific criteria and to what extent compromises were made in the light of political barriers and logistical limitations. It was the only group offering the unique opportunity of sharing archival work referring to Antarctic history with personal experiences of polar researchers from all continents.  Membership was open to anyone interested in the history of Antarctic research – polar historians, historians, polar veterans, polar researchers and other scholars ranging from undergraduate students up to retired professors from all over the world.
The sharing of knowledge and ideas produces very lively and fruitful discussions. The History Group became an Expert Group in 2010, and acted as a meeting place for scholars working on the history of the Antarctic from diverse perspectives, with an overt focus on involving junior scholars and fostering collaboration among group members. The group held many workshops and its work contributed directly to the work of several PhD students. This work is continued through the Standing Committee on Humanities and Social Sciences.
To honour the work in history of polar research a speaker is chosen each year to give the
Lewander Lecture
during a workshop or conference.
History Group Workshops, from 2005 to 2012
1st Meeting of the History Action Group, Munich (Germany), 2005
2nd Meeting of SCAR History Action Group, Santiago (Chile), 2006
3rd Meeting of the SCAR History Action Group, Columbus (Ohio, USA), 2007
4th Meeting of the SCAR History Action Group, St. Petersburg (Russia), 2008
5th Meeting of SCAR History Action Group, Washington D.C. (USA), 2009
SCAR History Action Group sessions in Buenos Aires and Oslo, 2010
History Workshops in 2011
8th Meeting of SCAR History Expert Group, Portland (USA), 2012
From 2013, the History and Humanities and Social Sciences Groups met jointly.  See the
Humanities and Social Sciences Meetings page
for more information.
Criteria for the selection of oral presentations during meetings
The paper must conform to the session description.
The paper must represent a novel contribution (for example new findings, sources, topics, methods or study areas) and be of a high academic standard.
If criteria (1) and (2) are both met, further criteria regarding speakers will be applied:
Age and previous experience. Early career scholars and those who have not previously taken part in a SCAR Open Science Conference should be given priority for an oral presentation.
Gender. Female speakers must be represented.
Language. Speakers from non-native English speaking countries must be represented.
Applications for oral submissions that meet the eligibility criteria but cannot be accommodated in the main program will be offered a poster slot.”
Terms of Reference for the History Group were:
The Expert Group will continue to act as a meeting place for scholars working on the history of the Antarctic from diverse perspectives, with an overt focus on involving junior scholars and fostering collaboration among Group members. The Expert Group’s meetings will also help facilitate the sharing of research materials, including newly-collected oral histories and newly-released archival sources. The geographical diversity of the Group’s membership will permit material from around the globe to be accessed, from North and South America to Africa, Australasia, Europe (eastern and western) and Russia.
The ICESTAR (Interhemispheric Conjugacy Effects in Solar Terrestrial and Aeronomy Research) Expert Group dealt with various geophysical and upper atmospheric phenomena developing either simultaneously over both the Northern and Southern polar regions (i.e., controlled by external forces and producing bi-polar effects) or connected through the interhemisphericgeomagnetically-conjugate coupling. The ICESTAR project began as a Scientific Research Programme, which ended in 2010.
The ICESTAR EG focused on identification and specification (quantification) of various mechanisms that control bi-polar regional differences or commonalities in the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling and the corresponding upper atmospheric phenomena over both polar regions.These bi-polar (or interhemispherically conjugate features) might be intrinsic to the polar ionosphere and upper atmosphere or be caused by long-term or abrupt changes in the near-Earth electromagnetic environment forced by the solar activity. The aim was to improve understanding of concerted responses of both polar regions to electromagnetic variations and plasma dynamics in interplanetary space that specify near-Earth space climate and weather.
The work of ICESTAR was continued by
SERAnt (Sun Earth Relationships and Antarctica)
The Action Group on Integrated Science for the Sub-Antarctic (ISSA) was formed in 2014 and ended in 2021.  The aim of the group was to reinvigorate interest in the sub-Antarctic and to facilitate the development of a strategy for future research in the region based on previous work, the horizon scan outcomes, and national priorities. The AG was cross-cutting, but located within the Life Sciences Group.
The objectives of ISSA were to:
Provide a comprehensive overview of past and current sub-Antarctic science;
Identify pressing science questions for current and future work based on national priorities, strengths, and 1
st
SCAR Horizon Scan questions;
Identify key lessons for science, conservation, and policy across the region;
Develop a network of scientists across the region, including support for early-career researchers.
The ISSA Action Group’s Terms of Reference were to facilitate an integrated programme of science in the sub-Antarctic, and identify key areas for new research, in line with national and international priorities, across this important SCAR area of interest. The boundaries of the sub-Antarctic followed those set out in the SCAR Strategic Plan.
The sub-Antarctic area, defined by SCAR to include islands from c. 40°S (e.g. Gough Island) to those south of the Antarctic Polar Front (e.g. South Georgia, Heard Island), includes large portions of the southern ocean and some of the only land between 35°S and 60°S. The sub-Antarctic islands have an extraordinary array of biodiversity and are globally significant breeding areas for many seabird and several mammal species. Given their situation among the major southern ocean fronts and directly in the path of the westerlies, the islands also hold much information regarding past changes in climate that are relevant both to past diversity and future resource availability. Many of them also face a suite of conservation challenges. Unlike the area south of 60°S, the islands are managed by individual countries, while the oceans are typically managed as a globally governed area. In consequence, science coordination is less well-developed in the region than in the Antarctic Treaty area. Moreover the significance of the islands themselves is frequently overlooked in discussions of the Antarctic region. The 1
st
SCAR Horizon Scan is an important example, where the islands were given comparatively little attention.
The co-chairs of the ISSA group were
Gary Wilson
and
Justine Shaw, with Bettine van Vuuren (South Africa), Peter Convey (UK), Dana Bergstrom (Australia, representing ANTOS) and Aleks Terauds (Australia, representing SC-ATS) on the Steering Committee.
ISSA Publications
At the XXXI SCAR Delegates Meeting in August 2010, the SSG on Geosciences recommended the establishment of an Action Group to identify data needs and best practice protocols for mapping of Last Glacial cycle grounding zones using multibeam bathymetry. Mapping the position of past grounding zones of the Antarctic Ice Sheet is important in providing boundary conditions for understanding ice volume history during the last glacial cycle, in understanding regional differences in ice behaviour and in mapping the availability of refugia for marine benthic biota.
The Multibeam group aimed to:
Identify the highest priority areas where multibeam bathymetry will provide important insights into the position and retreat history of the ice sheet grounding zone and, where such data do not exist,
Set out survey design guidelines to maximise the value of multibeam surveys in interpreting grounding zone position, behaviour and history of the Antarctic shelf.
“A detailed post-LGM chronology of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) retreat is a necessary element of assessing the Antarctic Ice Sheet’s future stability. Multibeam bathymetry data have become increasingly valuable for identifying essential elements for establishing the ice sheet retreat history including paleo ice streams, imaging detailed glacial morphological features and their configuration on the continental shelf.
“As more and more SCAR member countries deploy and use multibeam systems there is an increasing need to identify best acquisition practices as well as gaps in current data coverage to obtain critical information for the reconstruction of paleo ice flow in Antarctica.
“This action group is preparing a document that will provide an overview of existing multibeam systems deployed in polar regions and current usage practices. Based on past experiences this action group will provide recommendations for usage and survey strategies that are likely to provide the best outcome with respect of reconstructing past ice flow.”
Multibeam Action Group Report, 2014
Multibeam acquisition for characterizing retreat of the Antarctic Ice Sheet – An assessment of data-acquisition needs and recommendations of best procedures
by Philip J. Bart and Frank O. Nitsche
The Multibeam Action Group was led by Phil Bart and Frank Nitsche.  It ended in 2014.
Polar Atmospheric Chemistry at the Tropopause (PACT) aimed to improve understanding of the distribution and variability of ozone in the polar upper troposphere–lower stratosphere (UTLS) region and the feedbacks of ozone changes to polar climate.
PACT was approved as an Action Group in 2008 and should have ended in 2016, though the group continued working, hoping to produce a publication on the outcomes of the group for submission to the journal
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
. After some years of inactivity, the group was ended in 2021.
The co-Chairs of the PACT group were Andrew Klekociuk (Australian Antarctic Division) and Gennadi Milinevsky (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv). They were assisted by Vladyslav Mogylchak (also of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv).
PACT work was focused on finalising a database on tropopause region parameters that was derived using all available ozonesonde measurements poleward of 50° latitude. The ozonesonde data were obtained from the
World Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation Data Centre (WOUDC)
, the
Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC)
and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
Earth System Research Laboratory
. The earliest data previously used were from Syowa in Antarctica (1966), although the majority of information came from the 1990s and later years.
PACT Dataset
The goal of PACT is to provide a
unique and convenient set of observational data and analyses derived from high-latitude ozonesonde measurements to help improve understanding of the distribution and variability of ozone in the extratropical tropopause region and the feedbacks of ozone change to polar climate.
For more information, visit the
PACT Dataset website
PACT Publications
The SCAR Action Group on Remote Sensing was established at the XXXII SCAR Meeting in Portland 2012 with the full name “
Development of a satellite-based, Antarctic-wide, remote sensing approach to monitor bird and animal populations
”, initially for a period of three years, with the aim of addressing the topic of “Animal monitoring via remote sensing”. A number of publications on that topic, several published in 2012, indicated that the importance of satellite-based remote sensing for monitoring purposes was growing. In these various publications, different methodological approaches were proved and discussed
A working meeting of the Remote Sensing group was held during the XIth SCAR Biology Symposium on 19 July 2013 in Barcelona, and followed by a meeting and symposium at the XXXIII SCAR Meeting in Auckland 25 August 2014. Important points discussed included relevant databases for collecting penguin (and other seabirds and seals) abundance data, collected with remote-sensing methods, rules for using drones (UAV) over penguin colonies and continued discussions about new satellite technologies.
The group also met at the XIIth SCAR Biology Symposium in Belgium (2017) and the SCAR/IASC Conference in Davos (Switzerland) 2018.
The Remote Sensing AG aimed to focus on future developments in a number of multi-disciplinary research fields, including new and emerging research frontiers in Antarctic science:
Recent technology in geospatial science over the last decade motivated major advances in our understanding of the Antarctic continent and surrounding oceans. These developments included the use of new satellite remote sensing platforms (e.g. WorldView and Landsat series of satellites) and methods to obtain geospatial information, such as automatic/semi-automatic extraction of information from remote sensing images, new mapping techniques for ice sheet properties (roughness, thickness and velocity), usage of remotely sensed data for Antarctic glaciological and mass balance studies, and ice sheet flow and geodynamics over short temporal scales.
Remote sensing of the marine cryosphere (including sea ice and its snow cover) and its interactions with ocean and atmosphere and generation of digital elevation models (DEMs) of Antarctic regions.
Rapid developments in monitoring bird and seal populations and habitats with remote sensing applications using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), including disturbance capability and environmental impacts of UAVs on bird and seal populations.
The use of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) technology to investigate small-scale characteristics and changes. Much of this research is cross-disciplinary in its nature and this has led to noteworthy advances across a range of Antarctic scientific disciplines.
The group aimed to merge snow and ice studies with climate research, ice-ocean interaction, and animal monitoring via remote sensing.
The Co-Chairs of the Remote Sensing group were:
Hans-Ulrich Peter
(Polar and Bird Ecology Group, Jena University, Germany)
Osama Mustafa
(Think, Jena University, Germany)
Other members of the group included:
Heather Lynch (Stony Brook University, USA)
Michelle La Rue (University of Minnesota, USA)
Peter Fretwell (British Antarctic Survey, UK)
Ewe Hong Tat (Universiti Tunku Rahman, Malaysia)
Shridhar Jawak (National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, India)
Rob Massom (Australian Antarctic Division, Australia)
Oscar Schofield (Rutgers University, USA)
Mathew Schwaller (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USA)
Malgorzata Korczak-Abshireb (Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland)
Paul Morin (Polar Geospatial Center, USA)
Marie-Charlott Rümmler (Jena University, Germany)
Barbara Bollard Breen (Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand)
The Remote Sensing group merged with the
Earth Observation Action Group
in 2021.
Publications
Terms of Reference
Goals:
Defining what are the goals/objectives of the proposed monitoring programme. What are the questions we want the programme to answer? What are the key parameters we need to define in order to answer these questions? What are the temporal and spatial ranges and scales we have to consider to get the necessary information?
Present state of species:
Formulating the present state of available knowledge for individual species, specifically on the distribution, population and on-going monitoring programmes.
Gaps:
What are the important gaps? What do we need to understand better? What are the most important research demands we should work on? How can we work on them?
Methodology/technology:
Which methodologies and technologies are available to fill the gaps? What is the role of different remote sensing techniques in this setting? Which new approaches look promising regarding result quality and research effort? Compiling the methodical state of the scientific knowledge in terms of a satellite-based, remote sensing approach. Keeping an eye on technological advances.
Monitoring strategy:
Designing a monitoring strategy that optimizes the relationship between outcome and long-term monitoring effort. Maximizing the resources of the participants.
Input data access:
Organizing data access. Who has access to which data? Which of these could be shared? Consulting data providers.
Output data access:
Designing an easy and open access for the scientific community to the monitoring results. What are the outcome parameters to be produced and how can they be stored, exchanged and published? Solving questions on standards, formats, media and metadata for the database/geo-database.
Remote Sensing Group papers
Casanovas, P., Black, M., Fretwell, P., & Convey, P. (2015). Mapping lichen distribution on the Antarctic Peninsula using remote sensing, lichen spectra and photographic documentation by citizen scientists. Polar Research, 34(0). doi:10.3402/polar.v34.25633
Fretwell, P. T., & Trathan, P. N. (2009). Penguins from space: Faecal stains reveal the location of emperor penguin colonies. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 18(5), 543- 552. doi:10.1111/j.1466-8238.2009.00467.
Fretwell, P. T., LaRue, M. A., Morin, P., Kooyman, G. L., Wienecke, B., Ratcliffe, N., Trathan, P. N. (2012). An Emperor Penguin Population Estimate: The First Global, Synoptic Survey of a Species from Space. PLoS ONE, 7(4). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0033751
Fretwell, P. T., Staniland, I. J., & Forcada, J. (2014). Whales from Space: Counting Southern Right Whales by Satellite. PLoS ONE, 9(2). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0088655
Goebel, M. E., Perryman, W. L., Hinke, J. T., Krause, D. J., Hann, N. A., Gardner, S., & Leroi, D. J. (2015). A small unmanned aerial system for estimating abundance and size of Antarctic predators. Polar Biol Polar Biology, 38(5), 619-630. doi:10.1007/s00300-014-1625-4
LaRue, M. A., Kooyman, G., Lynch, H. J., & Fretwell, P. (2014). Emigration in emperor penguins: Implications for interpretation of long-term studies. Ecography, 38(2), 114-120. doi:10.1111/ecog.00990
Lynch, H. J., & LaRue, M. A. (2014). First global census of the Adélie Penguin. The Auk, 131(4), 457-466. doi:10.1642/auk-14-31.1
Rümmler, M., Mustafa, O., Maercker, J., Peter, H., & Esefeld, J. (2015). Measuring the influence of unmanned aerial vehicles on Adélie penguins. Polar Biol Polar Biology. doi:10.1007/s00300-015-1838-1
Schwaller, M. R., Southwell, C. J., & Emmerson, L. M. (2013). Continental-scale mapping of Adélie penguin colonies from Landsat imagery. Remote Sensing of Environment, 139, 353-364. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2013.08.009
Zmarz, A., Korczak-Abshire, M., Storvold, R., Rodzewicz, M., & Kędzierska, I. (2015). Indicator Species Population Monitoring In Antarctica With Uav. Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci. ISPRS – International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XL-1/W4, 189- 193. doi:10.5194/isprsarchives-xl-1-w4-189-2015
The SERAnt Action Group (Sun Earth Relationships and Antarctica), active from 2014 to 2016, aimed to quantify the effects of the solar activity on the near-Earth environment (GeoSpace) and the planet’s geomagnetic, plasma, and atmospheric domains.
It was formed in 2014 to replace
ICESTAR
and its purpose was to determine the Terms of Reference for a Task Group on solar terrestrial physics, leading to representation within the
Physical Sciences Group
of the research effort in Antarctica that aims on quantifying effects of the solar activity on the near-Earth environment (Geospace) and the planet’s geomagnetic, plasma, and atmospheric domains.
The SERAnt group was chaired by Allan Weatherwax, with Andrew J Gerrard, Annika Seppälä and Giorgiana De Franchschi on the team. Those involved in the formation of the group in 2014 were: Dr Maurizio Candidi, Dr Giorgiana DeFranceschi, Dr Annika Seppala, Dr Monica Laurenza. Dr Alessandro Damiani, Dr Ilja Usoskin, Prof Kazuo Shiokawa, Prof Umberto Villante, Dr Craig Rodger and Dr Allan Weatherwax.
The group ended in 2016 and its work was taken on by
GRAPE (GNSS Research and Application for Polar Environment).
Proposed SERAnt research fields
Implementation plan
Actions to bring together presently available data, including harmonisation of data formats, also considering the provisions of the SCAR data specialists;
Planning for integration of resources, coordinating observation plans, defining time intervals for joint studies;
Coordinated presentation of Antarctic results at disciplinary meetings, and at SCAR Open Science Conferences;
Due attention will be devoted to the efforts of GRAPE to establish a task force for the SRP proposal on which the
URSI Commission G
and SCAR-GRAPE communities agreed at the URSI AT RASC meeting 2015. Representatives from other communities (e.g. SuperDARN) will be involved in the task force as well as SERAnt.
Time frame
The group will act for four years, starting in Kuala Lumpur 2016, and will coordinate with GRAPE, the leading task force devoted to the preparation of a Scientific Research Programme that will be presented and discussed during the SCAR OSC in Kuala Lumpur 2016.  This is in response to one of the six
SCAR Horizon Scan
priorities, namely “the near Earth space and beyond”. Horizontal coordination between the SRP with other programmes of interest are envisaged (e.g. SCOSTEP’s VarSITI, 2014-18).
Further details are given in the SERAnt Proposal.
Terms of Reference
In 2014 the SERAnt Action Group was established to determine the Terms of Reference for an Expert Group on solar terrestrial physics, with the following objectives:
Identify the science to be addressed, and the groups worldwide that are already active in research in the field;
Formulate a proposal for its structure and composition;
Analyze the interaction with GRAPE EG and avoid duplication, while promoting synergy; and
Bridge over gap between ICESTAR, closed at Auckland, and future EG to be formed in Kuala Lumpur.
Selected papers:
Intermittency on simultaneous observations of riometer at several Antarctic locations,
EM Ovalle, AJ Foppiano, MV Stepanova, AT Weatherwax Advances in Space Research 57 (6), 1338-1344
Further evidence for a connection between auroral kilometric radiation and ground level signals measured in Antarctica
J LaBelle, X Yan, M Broughton, S Pasternak, M Dombrowski, … Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 120 (3), 2061-2075
GPS phase scintillation at high latitudes during geomagnetic storms of 7–17 March 2012–Part 2: Interhemispheric comparison
P Prikryl, R Ghoddousi-Fard, L Spogli, CN Mitchell, G Li, B Ning, … Annales Geophysicae 2015
Executive Summary
The main science objectives of the SERAnt activities fall under the general framework of the “space weather” and “space climate” studies. Everlasting sophistication of human-built infrastructure on the Earth and in Geospace makes the effects of solar activity, both at the average level and with large and strong impulsive events, more and more relevant to the infrastructure proper protection and uninterrupted operation, as well as to better understanding of the long-term changes in the Earth magnetic field and solar irradiance. Such studies will be important through the
solar activity minimum
that is expected within the next five years, 2016 to 2020.
The Antarctic continent offers an excellent vantage point and platform for the SERAnt-coordinated studies as being unique with its location at high Southern geomagnetic latitudes (that provides access to the regions where geomagnetic field lines directly interact with the solar wind) given the significant number of ground stations that are equipped with modern instrumentations providing continuous data streams on relevant parameters. These Antarctic observations of Geospace parameters and respective research occurs in parallel with similar research done over the Arctic, making the SERAnt effort bi-hemispheric in nature.
The aim of SERAnt is to complement and parallel its coordination activtities with the joint Physical Sciences Expert Group
GRAPE (GNSS Research and Application for Polar Environment)
, which deals with monitoring, investigation and modelling of neutral and ionized atmospheric phenomena at bi-polar latitudes impacting on a variety of GNSS-based technology in several fields of application from space weather to the solid Earth.  Thus, SERAnt and GRAPE are synergetic with the goals and objectives of the former SCAR Scientific Research Programme
ICESTAR (Interhemispheric Conjugacy Effects in Solar Terrestrial and Aeronomy Research)
.  The programmes of SERAnt and GRAPE are also in line as well with the
SCOSTEP
-sponsored 5-year coordination programme
VarSITI (Variability of the Sun and Its Terrestrial Impact)
, 2014-2018.
Other relevant VarSITI initiatives are
ROSMIC
(Role Of the Sun and the Middle atmosphere/thermosphere/ionosphere In Climate) and
SPeCIMEn
(Specification and Prediction of the Coupled Inner-Magnetospheric Environment).
A comprehensive description of the general Solar-Terrestrial Physics (STP) research goals and objectives related to respective available resources in Antarctica can be found in the recent report from the U.S. Antarctic community workshop “Solar Terrestrial Research: Past, Present and Future”, Proceedings of the polar research meeting, 2014, ed. M. Lessard, A. Gerrard and A. Weatherwax.
SERAnt Research Fields
Space weather and space climate have become common terms to relate studies of the Sun’s activities and solar wind interaction to the Earth magnetosphere, depositing respective energy and momentum in the Earth geomagnetic, ionospheric, and atmospheric domains. The outstanding questions of that field are:
What features may appear on the solar surface that may lead to solar flares and coronal mass ejections that might affect the Earth?
What are mechanisms are involved in the respective propagation of the solar wind perturbations to near-Earth space (Geospace), and what evolutions might these perturbations experience during the transit?
What are the effects that determine coupling between the solar wind perturbations and the Earth’s magnetosphere?
Which Geospace domains are affected by the above interaction, and how may they influence or modify/impact on the Earth’s climate and human technological systems?
All these questions and many more will be examined through studies of several specific phenomena that range from cosmic ray interaction with the Earth’s atmosphere, magnetospheric charged precipitation from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere, geomagnetic field disturbances in all frequency ranges, auroral phenomena, and general effects on the upper atmospheric layers, even weather and climate in the Earth’s lower atmosphere. These will be briefly addressed individually in the following sections.
Energetic Particles Studies
The Earth’s particle radiation environment consists of several components of ionizing radiation, among which there are galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), solar cosmic rays (also called solar energetic particles (SEPs) or solar proton events (SPEs)), energetic electrons from the Earth’s outer radiation belt and auroral electrons. The GCR flux in near-Earth space is controlled by solar magnetic activity and follows an 11-year cycle that is in anticorrelation with the main solar activity indices (e.g., the sunspot number). In addition, the GCR flux responds to solar-wind variations on both long and short time scales. SEPs, on the other hand, comprise events that are associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar flares (e.g., Reames 1999). Thus, the somewhat sporadic occurrence of SEPs is in positive correlation with ongoing solar activity.
It follows that the radiation environment of the Earth is very dynamic. Even the most stable component of the radiation (i.e., the GCRs) varies by an order of magnitude at energies below a few hundred MeV per nucleon due to heliospheric modulation. SEP events can produce increases of several orders of magnitude in the fluxes of energetic ions (above 1 MeV per nucleon) and electrons (above 100 keV), which can last from a few hours to a week.
Navigation and radio communication performance failure are well documented since the discovery of the PCA effect (Polar Cap Absorption).  Radiobiological damage is similar to that described in manned space flights, but now also affects aeroplane flights, especially over polar areas (Dosimetry is strongly improved).  In particular, secondary neutrons are the major component of the total dose of the human radiation exposure at high altitude (mountains, flights) and high latitudes (polar and sub-polar).
Space-based observations are essential to estimate EPP-induced ionization but are subject to limitation (shortness of time series, inter-satellite calibration issues, proton contamination etc.). In this framework, the possibility of using geomagnetic indices (e.g. Ap, Kp, AE), recorded at ground-based observatories, as EPP proxy (Randall et al., 2007; Funke et al., 2014) opened new scenarios for investigating the EPP role in past and, potentially, future climate. Indeed, work is on-going to include the EPP forcing within multi-model initiatives. In this respect, it is important to mention that, for the first time, data on this forcing will be provided to the modelling groups taking part in the next CMIP-6 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6), i.e. the scientific basis for the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), allowing the opportunity for an unprecedented evaluation of the EPP impact on climate.
Upper Atmospheric Studies
Among the various research programmes conducted in the
VarSITI initiative of SCOSTEP
ROSMIC
(Role Of the Sun and the Middle atmosphere/thermosphere/ionosphere In Climate) appears to be connected with Antarctic observations; initiatives within SERAnt will have to be coordinated and represented there.
Cosmic Rays can lead to chemical changes in the atmosphere (e.g., Chapter 13 in Dorman 2004; Section 4 in Kudela et al. 2000). Important for the terrestrial environment, particularly for climate, is the destruction of ozone (Thorne 1977; Baker et al. 1987) and the formation of minor atmospheric components (e.g., OHx and NOy) (Damiani et al. 2006; Jackman and McPeters 2004; Krivolutsky 2003).
These changes can be quite dramatic during SEP events in the polar upper atmosphere (Verronen et al., 2006; Damiani et al., 2008; Jackman et al., 2008; Storini et al., 2008). Intense SEP events are also able to greatly increase the concentration of NOx (NO + NO2) and HOx (H + OH + HO2) in mesosphere and stratosphere, hence destruction of ozone and therefore disturbance of temperature and wind. The potential descent of NOx during the polar winter, produced by energetic particle precipitation (EPP, due to SEPs, auroral particles and particles from outer radiation belts), and its impact on the ozone could be an important climate forcing. Modelling of such effects is in progress. The role of GCRs still has several controversies, for example that of polar particle precipitations.
Galactic Cosmic Rays, which come continuously into the upper layers of the atmosphere, interact primarily with atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen nuclei and produce secondary particles (such as protons, neutrons and mesons), that can penetrate deeper into the atmosphere and undergo further collisions, generating the particle shower. This phenomenon induces major physical and chemical effects in the atmosphere. The most important effect is cosmic ray induced ionization (CRII) in the atmosphere. CRs form the principal source of ionization in the low and middle atmosphere, except in the near-to-ground layer, where natural radioactivity in the soil may play a role. The permanent ionization of the atmosphere has numerous consequences for various aspects of the terrestrial environment, even for human life.
There is scientific work/debate on the ability of cosmic rays to activate cloud formation. Atmospheric ionization caused by cosmic rays may affect aerosol formation/growth, specifically in the polar stratosphere (e.g., Mironova et al, Space Sci. Rev., 194, 1, 2015) but the exact mechanism is still debated.
This topic includes the whole neutral atmosphere, since many of the aspects of sun-earth connection impacting the upper atmosphere have either direct impacts also lower down, or propagate down towards the stratosphere and troposphere via atmospheric coupling mechanisms (such as those discussed in the cosmic ray section). The atmospheric coupling from the bottom upwards (e.g., various wave couplings from the troposphere to the middle and upper atmosphere) is also an important part of the sun-earth connection because it drives global circulation of the atmosphere as well as ionospheric disturbances and irregularities that affect GNSS positioning and satellite communication. Polar atmosphere is one of the key regions of this coupling, such as driving polar stratospheric sudden warmings through planetary waves. This is also in line with the VarSITI/ROSMIC programme.
Electromagnetic Fluctuations
Ultra Low Frequency (ULF)
In the study of STP, it is extremely important to measure the geomagnetic field fluctuations in the polar regions, and thus in Antarctica. The availability of long data series allows the study, at different time scales, of the processes which control the energy transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere, and the investigation of open issues and recent challenging problems. In particular, Ultra Low Frequency (ULF, 1 mHz-1 Hz) waves in the magnetosphere:
Low-frequency range (1-10 mHz)
Wave activity in this frequency range shows correlation with the fluctuations of the solar wind speed and dynamic pressure (Takahashi et al., 2012). In addition, it has been evidenced that these waves play a role in the acceleration of magnetospheric energetic electrons in the radiation belts, through a resonant interaction of the ULF waves with the electron drift motion (Millan and Baker, 2012).
Mid-frequency range (10-100 mHz)
Recent studies, based on ULF fluctuations simultaneously observed in the solar wind by cluster satellites and on the ground in Antarctica, at Dome C and Terra Nova Bay (Francia et al., 2012; Regi et al., 2013; Regi et al., 2014), showed that ULF waves generated in the solar wind can penetrate through the lobes of the geomagnetic tail and propagate along the outermost open field lines to the polar cap. Such studies need further analyses, particularly with regard to the properties of the propagating waves.
ULF activity and the atmosphere
During intense ULF activity, energetic electrons precipitate into the atmosphere at high latitudes, producing changes in the chemistry and electrical conductivity of the stratosphere, with detectable effects also at ground (Tinsley et al., 2007; Seppala et al., 2009). Through the analysis of geomagnetic field fluctuations in Antarctica, it is possible to study the short and long term variations of the magnetospheric activity and to investigate their correlation with the temperature and atmospheric dynamics changes (Francia et al., 2015).
The magnetospheric and ionospheric current systems
In general, the extreme latitude measurements of the geomagnetic field variations are useful also in the Space Weather context in that, compared with lower latitude measurements, spacecraft observations in the magnetosphere, and model representations of the magnetospheric field, may allow to discriminate between the influence of the different magnetospheric and ionospheric current system during magnetic storms.
Very Low Frequency (VLF)
Very Low Frequency (VLF) electromagnetic waves are generally taken to span the range from a few kHz through to a few tens of kHz. For most locations on Earth, the dominant source of VLF waves are generated by lightning discharges, except at narrow frequency bands where manmade VLF transmitters dominate. At mid- and high- latitudes VLF waves naturally generated in space can be received on the ground. Examples of such waves are whistlers (generated by lightning), plasmaspheric hiss and chorus. The occurrence and properties of these waves tell us about the nature of the space around the Earth, and can be continuously monitored from high-latitude polar sites at comparatively low cost. All of the waves, along with ULF-band EMIC waves, are thought to be important drivers of loss of energetic electrons from the radiation belts. Whistler-mode chorus is increasingly accepted to be a highly important driver of acceleration processes in the radiation belts, energising electrons with tens of keV energy to hundreds or thousands of keV. In
SCOSTEP’s VarSITI programme
, radiation belt dynamics and the nature and processes of inner magnetosphere processes is studied inside the SPeCIMEN project, while the impact of the loss on the atmosphere is part of the focus of ROSMIC. The joint URSI/IAGA working group VERSIM supports collaboration in the VLF community.
Monitoring of naturally occurring VLF waves allows remote sensing of the space environment. Ground-based observations of waves are complementary to space-based, providing a stationary platform to measure the VLF wave activity. In some parts of Antarctica, ground-based observations of whistlers can be used to provide continuous plasmasphere monitoring (the cold plasma environment is a vital component of describing how the processes in space couple waves and particles). Because lightning activity is extremely low in the Antarctic, this region is also very well suited to remote sensing lightning activity – the lower background noise levels and longer propagation paths provide high accuracy timing observations of lightning-generated radio pulses (sferics) which can be used in lightning location systems (e.g., WWLLN).
Monitoring of man-made VLF waves (generally from military transmitters) allows low-cost continuous remote sensing of the lower ionosphere. Either communication transmitters or lightning provide powerful sources of VLF waves which propagate many thousands of kilometres, trapped between the lower edge of the ionosphere and the conducting ground/sea. Networks of narrow-band transmitter monitors have been deployed to the polar region, particularly focused on highly energetic electrons and protons lost into the polar atmosphere. These include solar proton events (rare, and very very large), radiation belt precipitation (common, highly variable), and substorm precipitation (very common, highly variable). One example of such a network is
AARDDVARK
Auroral Observations
Current efforts in the scientific community focus on a wide range of topics in auroral studies. Auroras associated with substorms are the most dynamic and historically have received the most attention. Other questions have revolved around the connection between fast earthward-moving plasma flows from the magnetotail and north-south oriented auroral forms. The relationship between auroras and ion beams flowing out from the ionosphere is also important. Pulsating auroras have been observed to cover a great extent both in space and time, and are linked to Earth’s equatorial magnetosphere, providing an important path by which energy is transferred from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere and thermosphere. Proton aurora has been used to help understand substorm development and is associated with electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves; theory has been developed to show how these waves scatter radiation belt magnetospheric protons into the ionosphere.
SERAnt Publications
The Action Group for Snow in Antarctica (SnowAnt) was established in 2014 and aimed to improve the knowledge on depositional and metamorphic processes in Antarctic snow and its feedbacks to the climate system; to develop a snow classification for Antarctica; to protect pristine snow areas, and to implement a database to document disturbed areas, historic snow profiles, accumulation data from AWS, stake farms, surface radar profiles, shallow firn–snow cores.
Over the period 2014 to 2016, SnowAnt activities were twofold: organization of Snow in Antarctica specific sessions at EGU 2016 (merged due to too few participants) and SCAR-OSC 2016. The other activity was the organization of the annual Snow Science Winter Schools, which brought about 50 students in contact with SCAR, and provided a sound background on modern methods in snow analysis:
1st European Snow Science Winter School, Sodankylä, Finland (2015)
2nd Snow Science Winter School Preda and Davos, Switzerland (2016)
3rd Snow Science Winter School, Sodankylä, Finland (2017)
4th Snow Science Winter School, Col du Lautaret, France (2018)
Significant progress has been made in recognizing snow as an important element of Antarctica, as demonstrated by successfully setting up a specific snow session for OSC 2016. However, it is extremely difficult to get researchers motivated to work for the very long-term objectives of SnowAnt.
For the period 2016 to 2018, the key initiative was to find additional active members for the Action Group. This was done by more actively promoting the topic within the Snow Science Schools and in other snow related conferences.
Collaboration with the
Action Group on Geological Heritage and Geo-conservation (Geoconservation)
was discussed during the OSC 2018. The goal of this collaboration is to use the knowledge with respect to the goals of protecting pristine snow areas and have the issue taken up by Antarctic Treaty member states.
The chair of the group was Martin Schneebeli of the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, Davos, Switzerland.  Other members of the group included Katherine Leonard (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), Willem Jan van de Berg (Utrecht University), Ludovic Brucker (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), Alexey Ekaykin (Russian Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute), Lora Koenig (National Snow and Ice Data Center) and Marcel Nicolaus (Alfred-Wegener-Institut).
Terms of Reference
The key goals for SnowAnt were to:
Investigate:
Improve the knowledge on depositional and metamorphic processes in Antarctic snow and its feedbacks to the climate system; develop a snow classification for Antarctica.
Protect:
What is disturbed today will be in the ice core for the next ~1 My – preserve pristine snow areas; currently disturbed areas have to be mapped and coordinated with national logistic operators.
Implement:
SnowREADER (database) to document disturbed areas, historic snow profiles, accumulation data from AWS, stake farms, surface radar profiles, shallow firn – snow cores.
Educate and Coordinate:
Quantitative snow stratigraphy methods developed by the IACS working group
MicroSnow
should be implemented by snow schools; recognize the importance of snow for SCAR.
SnowAnt Publications
The Southern Ocean Continuous Plankton Recorder Database (SO-CPR) was initially established to assist the development and expansion of the CPR research in the Southern Ocean and Antarctic waters. The group’s work also focused on the Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) of the data and maintaining the highest methodological standards in CPR sampling and taxonomic methodology across the SO-CPR Survey laboratories.
The SCAR Southern Ocean Continuous Plankton Recorder (SO-CPR) Survey was established in 1991 by the Australian Antarctic Division to map the spatial-temporal patterns of plankton biodiversity and use the sensitivity of plankton to environmental change as early warning indicators of the health of the Southern Ocean. In 2008, the SCAR Continuous Plankton Recorder Expert Group (EG-CPR) was established to assist the development and expansion of the CPR research in the Southern Ocean and Antarctic waters.
The original terms of reference for the Continuous Plankton Recorder Expert Group (EG-CPR) were to:
Map the biodiversity and distribution of plankton, including euphausiid (krill) life stages, in the Southern Ocean.
Use the sensitivity of plankton to environmental change as early warning indicators of the health of Southern Ocean, by studying spatial-temporal variation in plankton patterns.
Serve as reference on the general status of the Southern Ocean for other monitoring programs.
Develop and maintain the SO-CPR Database and to improve access for users.
Expand and enhance the SO-CPR Survey to include more ships and repeat transects around Antarctica.
The EG-CPR had proved invaluable in helping the Southern Ocean CPR Survey becoming a high successful biological survey and monitoring programme with a near circum-Antarctic coverage. In turn, it has become an important source of data and information for other SCAR initiatives such as SCAR-MarBIN, the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS). The SO-CPR and EG-CPR were important foundation members of the Global Alliance of CPR Surveys (GACS) which places the Antarctic CPR data in a global context. During the term of the EG-CPR and its predecessor Action Group some 40 papers had been published.
In 2016, the transition of the existing EG-CPR to the Southern Ocean Continuous Plankton Recorder Database Expert Group (SO-CPR) was approved.
As a task of the EG-CPR of ten years, a special report on the “Status and Trends of Southern Ocean Zooplankton” was published as a
SCAR Bulletin
in June 2021. This report brought together all information from 25 years of the SO-CPR Survey into one report which identified trends (seasonal or long-term) in relation to changes in abundance, shifts in distribution, timing of events, or changes in composition and community composition.
The principal product of the SO-CPR survey was the production of a high quality dataset for purposes of mapping plankton biodiversity: monitoring and development of models at seasonal, inter-annual, decadal, and spatially local and global scales; and providing core plankton data for ecosystem models. New modelling methods have allowing the group to predict patterns of individual species or whole assemblages by modelling the relationship between plankton and remotely measured environmental variables. The analyses will assist in the study of environmental effects on plankton, predator-prey relationships, the identification of foraging zones, and assist fisheries and conservation management.
The SO-CPR Expert Group closed in 2024.
SO-CPR was chaired by Kunio Takahashi (National Institute of Polar Research, Japan). Other members of the group included:
Graham Hosie (former Chair, Australia)
Hans Verheye (South African Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa)
Julie Hall (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), New Zealand)
Philippe Koubbi (Université Pierre and Marie Curie, France)
Marianne Wootton (Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science (SAHFOS), UK)
John Kitchener (Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), Australia)
Ben Raymond Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) Australia
Karen Robinson (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), New Zealand)
Erik Muxagata (University of Rio Grande, Brazil)
Data
The Australian Antarctic Division hosts the SO-CPR database. From their website linked below it is possible to:
View the metadata record describing the Southern Ocean Continuous Zooplankton Records [AADC-00099] database.
Search Tow Records by date, coverage
Access the full tow list sorted by season and voyage. There are links to view the sample locations for a tow within the Australian Antarctic sector.
Access a list of observed species with links to a distribution map within the Australian Antarctic sector.
For access to the data see the
SO-CPR website
Map of known CPR tows:
Links
General Information:
General Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Information
How CPR works
Species seen from the Continuous Plankton Recorder studies
Publications
SO-CPR publications from 2014-2016:
Constable, A.J., Melbourne-Thomas, J., Corney, S.P., Arrigo, K.R., Barbraud, C., Barnes, D.K.A., Bindoff, N.L., Boyd, P.W., Brandt, A., Costa, D.P., Davidson, A.T., Ducklow, H.W., Emmerson, L., Fukuchi, M., Gutt, J., Hindell, M.A., Hofmann, E.E., Hosie, G.W. , Iida, T., Jacob, S., Johnston, N.M., Kawaguchi, S. , Kokubun, N., Koubbi, P., Lea, M-A., Makhado, A., Massom, R.A., Meiners, K., Meredith, M.P, Murphy, E.J., Nicol, S. , Reid, K. , Richerson, K., Riddle, M.J., Rintoul, S.R., Smith Jr., W.O., Southwell, C. , Stark, J.S., Sumner, M., Swadling, K.M. , Takahashi, K.T., Trathan, P.N., Welsford, D.C., Weimerskirch, H., Westwood, K.J. , Wienecke, B.C., Wolf-Gladrow, D., Wright, S.W., Xavier, J.C., Ziegler, P. (2014) Climate change and Southern Ocean ecosystems I: How changes in physical habitats directly affect marine biota. Global Change Biology, 20: 3004-3025, DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12623
Cuzin-Roudy, J., Irisson, J-O., Penot, F., Kawaguchi, S., Vallet, C. (2014) Southern Ocean euphausiids. In: De Broyer, C., Koubbi, P., Griffiths, H., Danis, B., David, B., Grant, S., Gutt, J., Held, C., Hosie, G., Huetmann, F., Post, A., Raymond, B., Roper-Coudert, Y., Van de Putte, A., (eds) The CAML/SCAR-MarBIN Biogeographic Atlas of the Southern Ocean. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Cambridge, UK, pp 309-320
De Broyer, C., Koubbi, P., Griffiths, H., Raymond, B., d’Udekem d’Acoz, C., Van de Putte, A., Danis, B., David, B., Grant, S., Gutt, J., Held, C., Hosie, G., Huetmann, F., Post, A., Roper-Coudert, Y., (eds) (2014) The CAML/SCAR- MarBIN Biogeographic Atlas of the Southern Ocean. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Cambridge, UK.
Edwards, M., Helaouet, P., Alhaija, R. A., Batten, S., Beaugrand, G., Chiba, S., Horaeb, R. R., Hosie, G., Mcquatters-Gollop, A., Ostle, C., Richardson, A.J., Rochester, W., Skinner, J., Stern, R., Takahashi, K., Taylor, C., Verheye, H. M., Wootton, M. (2016). Global Marine Ecological Status Report: results from the global CPR survey 2014/2015. SAHFOS Techinical Report, 11, 1-32. Plymouth, U.K. ISSN 1744-0750.
Edwards, M., Helaouet, P., Johns, D.G., Batten, S., Beaugrand, G., Chiba, S., Hall, J., M., Head, E., Hosie, G., Kitchener, J., Koubbi, P., Kreiner, A., Melrose, C., Pinkerton, M., Richardson, A.J., Robinson, K., Takahashi, K., Verheye. H.M., Ward, P. & Wootton, M. (2014) Global Marine Ecological Status Report: results from the global CPR survey 2012/2013. SAHFOS Technical Report, 10: 1-37. Plymouth, U.K. ISSN 1744-0750
Griffiths, H.J., Van de Putte, A., Danis, B. (2014) Data distribution: patterns and implications. In: De Broyer, C., Koubbi, P., Griffiths, H., Danis, B., David, B., Grant, S., Gutt, J., Held, C., Hosie, G., Huetmann, F., Post, A., Raymond, B., Roper-Coudert, Y., Van de Putte, A., (eds) The CAML/SCAR-MarBIN Biogeographic Atlas of the Southern Ocean. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Cambridge, UK, pp 16-26
Gutt, J., Bertler, N., Bracegirdle, T.J., Buschmann, A., Comiso, J., Hosie, G., Isla, E., Schloss, I.R., Smith, C.R, Tournadre, J., Xavier, J.C. (2014) The Southern Ocean ecosystem under multiple climate change stresses – an integrated circumpolar assessment. Global Change Biology, 21 (4), 1434- 1453, DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12794
Hosie, G., Mormède, S., Kitchener, J., Takahashi, K., Raymond, B (2014) Chapter 10.3. Near-surface zooplankton community. In: De Broyer C., Koubbi P., Griffiths H.J., Raymond B., Udekem d’Acoz C. d’, Van de Putte A.P., Danis B., David B., Grant S., Gutt J., Held C., Hosie G., Huettmann F., Post A., Ropert-Coudert Y. (eds.), Biogeographic Atlas of the Southern Ocean. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Cambridge, pp. 422-430.
Koubbi, P., De Broyer, C., Griffiths, H., Raymond, B., d’Udekem d’Acoz, C., Van de Putte, A., Danis, B., David, B., Grant, S., Gutt, J., Held, C., Hosie, G., Huettmann, F., Post, A., Ropert-Coudert, Y., Stoddart, M.1, Swadling, K., Wadley, V. (2014) CONCLUSION: Present and Future of Southern Ocean Biogeography. In: De Broyer, C., Koubbi, P., Griffiths, H., Danis, B., David, B., Grant, S., Gutt, J., Held, C., Hosie, G., Huetmann, F., Post, A., Raymond, B., Roper-Coudert, Y., Van de Putte, A., (eds) The CAML/SCAR-MarBIN Biogeographic Atlas of the Southern Ocean. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Cambridge, UK, pp 470-475
Kouwenberg, J.H.M., Razouls, C., Desreumaux, N., (2014) Southern Ocean pelagic copepods. In: De Broyer, C., Koubbi, P., Griffiths, H., Danis, B., David, B., Grant, S., Gutt, J., Held, C., Hosie, G., Huetmann, F., Post, A., Raymond, B., Roper-Coudert, Y., Van de Putte, A., (eds) The CAML/SCAR-MarBIN Biogeographic Atlas of the Southern Ocean. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Cambridge, UK, pp 290-296
Meilland, J., Favri-Ruiz, S., Koubbi, P., Lo Monaco, C., Cotte, C., Hosie, G. W., Sanchez, S., Howa, H. (2016). Planktonic foraminiferal biogeography in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean: Contribution from CPR data. Deep- Sea Research I, 110, 75-89. doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2015.12.014
Roberts, D., Hopcroft, R.R., Hosie, G.W. (2014) Southern Ocean Pteropods. In: De Broyer, C., Koubbi, P., Griffiths, H., Danis, B., David, B., Grant, S., Gutt, J., Held, C., Hosie, G., Huetmann, F., Post, A., Raymond, B., Roper-Coudert, Y., Van de Putte, A., (eds) The CAML/SCAR-MarBIN Biogeographic Atlas of the Southern Ocean. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Cambridge, UK, pp 276-283
Robinson, K.V., Pinkerton, M.H., Hall, J.A., Hosie, G.W., (2014) Continuous Plankton Recorder Time Series. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No. 128. Ministry for Primary Industries, Wellington. 74 pp. ISBN 978-0-478-43226-8
Takahashi, K. T., Hosie, G. W., Odate, T. (2016). Intra-annual seasonal variability of surface zooplankton distribution patterns along a 110oE transect of the Southern Ocean in the austral summer of 2011/12. Polar Science, doi:10.1016/j.polar.2016.06.09
Takahashi, K. T., Iida, T., Ojima, M., Odate, T. (2015). Zooplankton sampling during the 55th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in austral summer 2013-2014. JARE Data Report, 336 (Marine Biology 49), 15p.
Zeidler, W., De Broyer, C. (2014) Amphiphoda Hyperiidea. In: De Broyer, C., Koubbi, P., Griffiths, H., Danis, B., David, B., Grant, S., Gutt, J., Held, C., Hosie, G., Huetmann, F., Post, A., Raymond, B., Roper-Coudert, Y., Van de Putte, A., (eds) The CAML/SCAR-MarBIN Biogeographic Atlas of the
Southern Ocean. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Cambridge, UK, pp 303-308
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