Buried glacier ice is common in the McMurdo Dry Valleys and under ideal climatic and geomorphological conditions may be preserved for multimillion-year timescales. This study focuses on the analysis of ~300 m2 of buried glacier ice in lower Kennar Valley, Quartermain Range. The mapped ice is clean,<10 m thick and covered by a~25 cm sandy drift. The mouth of Kennar Valley is occupied by a lobe of Taylor Glacier, an outlet glacier from Taylor Dome. Based on ice–sediment characteristics, air bubble concentrations and stable isotopic analyses from three ice cores, the lower Kennar Valley ice is glacial in origin. These data coupled with a previously reported exposure age chronology indicate that the buried ice was deposited by a late Pleistocene advance of Taylor Glacier, probably during an interglacial interval. The surface of the buried glacier ice exhibits a patterned ground morphology characterized by small, dome-shaped polygons with deep troughs. This shape possibly reflects the final stages of ice loss, as stagnant, isolated ice pinnacles sublimate in place. This study highlights how polygon morphology can be used to infer the thickness of clean buried ice and its geomorphological stability throughout Antarctica, as well as other in cold, arid landscapes.

Two geochemical surveys of the major constituents of the Alph River, situated in Walcott Bay, Victoria Land, were undertaken in the austral summer of 1987–88. At the same time, tributaries and the runoff from various glaciers were investigated. The Alph River has an average total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration of 63.5 mgl−1, approximately half that of average world river water. The chemical composition is dominated by Na+ and HCO−3. Glacial melt waters have very low TDS but chemical weathering over the course of a few kilometres causes solute concentrations in the tributaries to exceed those of the Alph River. The composition of the streams is variable, but often Ca2+ is the principal cation. Enrichment factor and mass balance calculations indicate that the salts in the Alph River and its tributaries have a substantial non-marine component. Chemical weathering of calcite, mirabilite, gypsum and halite contribute solutes to the aquatic system. A “Gibbs Plot” [TDS versus Na:(Na+Ca) weight ratio] indicates that water samples from direct glacial runoff fall outside the world water envelope. They have low solute levels but enhanced Ca2+ concentrations, resulting from the aeolian deposition and subsequent dissolution of calcitic material.

Austrochlamys heardensis (Fleming) is recorded from a boulder of Late Pliocene (3.62–2.5 Ma) volcaniclastic sandstone dredged 70 km east-north-east of Heard Island, the third record of the species. The collection is much larger than the original described by Fleming and includes left valves which are described for the first time. The species is compared with A. anderssoni (Hennig) from Cockburn Island and ‘Chlamys’ mawsoni Fletcher from Îles Kerguelen. The source rock accumulated in fully marine, highly current-affected conditions. The collection is dominated by right valves, possibly because left valves are more susceptible to breakage and the effects of current winnowing. The locality may have subsided some 500 m since deposition. It lies immediately north of a straight, north-east–south-west trending lineament which may mark a major tectonic feature with left-lateral displacement of approximately 50 km, and provides a natural boundary within the Central Province of Kerguelen Plateau.

This paper describes a comparison between balloon radio-soundings made in summer at the Concordia station, Dome C, Antarctica and coincident model-based meteorological analyses. The comparison allows the assessment of the reliability of the analyses in summer. This allows the use of the winter analyses within an estimated range of uncertainty, while the first in situ measurements are just becoming available. The astronomical interest is to produce an estimate of atmospheric turbulence during the Antarctic winter at this very promising site. For this work the 6-hourly ECMWF operational analyses were used, concurrently with the data obtained in situ by the radio-sounding made at Concordia with standard meteorological balloons and sondes during four summer seasons (November–January), from December 2000 to the end of January 2004.

Except for the rich record from the Neuquen Basin (e.g. Gasparini & Fernández 2006), Jurassic southern Gondwanan marine reptiles are relatively rare. A tooth discovered in the Bean Peaks, Ellsworth Land, Antarctic Peninsula (Fig. 1) represents the southernmost, and only the second record of Jurassic marine reptiles from the Antarctic Peninsula. Comprising a single, incomplete tooth, the specimen is unable to be assigned to a species, but the paucity of Gondwanan Jurassic marine reptile material means this find adds significant palaeobiogeographical information.

Population growth rates of Antarctic and temperate isolates of the microflagellate Heteromita globosa Stein and of the ciliate Colpoda cucullus Müller were determined during incubation both under constant 3.5° and 8.0°C, and under temperature regimes fluctuating on 24-hour cycles, between 0° and 15°C, to simulate Antarctic microclimates. Fluctuating temperatures did not inhibit growth. No growth of Colpoda occurred at 3.5°C. It is suggested that successful growth in nature depends upon the microclimate providing sufficient degree-hours per day above encystment/excystment threshold temperature (+1.5°C for Heteromita about +4°C for Colpoda). The minimum number of degree-hours above threshold needed for growth of Colpoda is estimated to lie between 48 and 96. Monitored microclimates in the maritime Antarctic do not provide enough degree-hours per day, though subantarctic microclimates are more favourable, as may be exceptionally warm localities in the continental Antarctic where daily insolation is high in summer. These data are consistent with the recorded presence of Colpoda spp. in the subantarctic and rarely in the continental Antarctic, and their absence from the maritime Antarctic.

Lush ‘oases’ of life seen in chemosynthetic ecosystems such as hot vents and cold seeps represent rare, localized exceptions to the generally oligotrophic deep ocean floor. Organic falls, best known from sunken wood and whale carcasses, are additional sources of such oases. Kemp Caldera (59°42'S, 28°20'W) in the Weddell Sea exhibits active hydrothermal vents and a natural whale fall in close proximity, where an undescribed cocculinid limpet was found living in both types of chemosynthetic habitats. This represents the first member of the gastropod order Cocculinida discovered from hot vents, and also the first record from the Southern Ocean. Here, we applied an integrative taxonomy framework incorporating traditional dissection, electron microscopy, genetic sequencing and 3D anatomical reconstruction through synchrotron computed tomography in order to characterize this species. Together, our data revealed an unusual member of the genus Cocculina with a highly modified radula for feeding on bacterial film, described herein as Cocculina enigmadonta n. sp. Its phylogenetically derived position within the largely wood-inhabiting Cocculina indicates that it probably evolved from an ancestor adapted to living on sunken wood, providing a compelling case of the ‘stepping stone’ evolutionary trajectory from organic falls to seeps and vents.

The regional geology and lithostratigraphy of the Late Cretaceous strata of north-east James Ross Island have been described by a number of authors (e.g. Olivero et al. 1986, Pirrie 1989). The aim of this short note is to describe a sequence of strata currently assigned to the Santa Marta Formation, and to reinterpret the processes and environments of deposition of this sequence.

Five species of Umbilicaria are described, three of which, U. africana, U. krascheninnikovii and U. nylanderiana, have not been previously recorded from Antarctica. Distributional patterns and morphological characteristics of these species are discussed.

The Istituto Nazionale di Geosifica e Vulcanologia (INGV) software for automatic scaling of ionograms (Autoscala) was improved by introducing a system to identify D region absorption events, spread-F condition (frequency spreading in the F region), and Z-ray propagation. The algorithm was applied to a series of ionograms recorded by the AIS-INGV (Advanced Ionospheric Sounder-INGV) ionosonde installed at the Mario Zucchelli Station (74.7°S, 164.1°E), Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica. Critical cases are shown to illustrate the behaviour of the software.

The Dome C (Concordia) station in Antarctica (75°06′S, 123°21′E, 3233 m above mean sea level) has a unique opportunity to test the quality of remote-sensing measurements and meteorological analyses because it is situated well inside the Eastern Antarctic Plateau and is less affected by local phenomena. Measurements of tropospheric temperature and water vapour (H2O) together with the integrated water vapour (IWV) performed in 2010 are statistically analysed to assess their quality and to study the yearly correlation between temperature and H2O over the entire troposphere. The statistical tools include yearly evolution, seasonally-averaged mean and bias, standard deviation and linear Pearson correlation. The datasets are made of measurements from the ground-based microwave radiometer H2O Antarctica Microwave Stratospheric and Tropospheric Radiometer (HAMSTRAD), radiosonde, in situ sensors, the space-borne infrared sensors Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the MetOp-A platform and the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) on the Aqua platform, and the analyses from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF). Despite some obvious biases within all these datasets, our study shows that temperature and IWV are generally measured with high quality whilst H2O measurement quality is slightly worse. The AIRS and IASI measurements do not have the vertical resolution to correctly probe the lowermost troposphere, whilst HAMSTRAD loses sensitivity in the upper troposphere-lower stratosphere. Within the entire troposphere over the whole year, it is found that the time evolution of temperature and H2O is highly correlated (> 0.8). This suggests that, in addition to the variability of solar radiation producing an obvious diurnal cycle in the planetary boundary layer in summer and an obvious seasonal cycle over the year, the H2O and temperature intra-seasonal variabilities are affected by the same processes, e.g. related to the long-range transport of air masses.

Specimens of 22 species of pycnogonids belonging to twelve genera and seven families were collected during a cruise near Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands. Twenty two of the 94 stations yielded pycnogonids: the new species Ammothea hesperidensis is described fully, illustrated, and compared with similar species. The family Nymphonidae provided both the greatest diversity of species (seven) and number of specimens (35). The most abundant species were Achelia hoekii and Nymphon australe.

Debris-covered glaciers constitute a large part of the world's cryosphere. However, little is known about their long-term response to multi-millennial climate variability, in particular in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, we provide first insights into the response of a debris-covered glacier to multi-millennial climate variability in the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Archipelago, which can be compared to that of recently investigated debris-free glaciers. We focus on the Gentil Glacier and present 13 new 36Cl cosmic-ray exposure ages from moraine boulders. The Gentil Glacier experienced at least two glacial advances: the first one during the Late Glacial (19.0–11.6 ka) at ~14.3 ka and the second one during the Late Holocene at ~2.6 ka. Both debris-covered and debris-free glaciers advanced broadly synchronously during the Late Glacial, most probably during the Antarctic Cold Reversal event (14.5–12.9 ka). This suggests that both glacier types at Kerguelen were sensitive to abrupt temperature changes recorded in Antarctic ice cores, associated with increased moisture. However, during the Late Holocene, the advance at ~2.6 ka was not observed in other glaciers and seems to be an original feature of the debris-covered Gentil Glacier, related to either distinct dynamics or to distinct sensitivity to precipitation changes.

The McDonald Islands (53°S, 73°E) originally comprised three small islands that lie on the Kerguelen Plateau, 44 km west of Heard Island. No volcanic activity was observed since their discovery in 1874 until 1997, when two passing ships recorded major changes and eruptive behaviour. A 2001 satellite image showed that the main island had doubled its area. This paper reports observations made from a cruise ship in November 2002, supplemented by a high-resolution satellite image acquired in March 2003. A new volcanic complex comprises lava domes, spines and flows, all assumed to be phonolitic, similar to the older volcanic rocks. The complex shows dormant volcanic activity, with numerous fumaroles, recent spine evolution and lava flows. Changes in relative sea level have connected Flat and McDonald Islands. A spit about 1km long with extensive shoals beyond, now extends eastward from McDonald Island and presents new hazards to shipping. Biological changes include colonization by king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonica), previously absent, and a large reduction in numbers of formerly widespread macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus chrysolophus).

High southern latitude island environments are unusual in having relatively low or, in some cases, no non-indigenous species (NIS). Here we describe the accidental transport and survivorship of moths (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) on a research vessel travelling from southern South America (Montevideo, Uruguay) first to the cool temperate Falkland Islands and then onwards to Maritime Antarctic Signy Island (South Orkney Islands). On the vessel's arrival at Stanley, Falkland Islands, from Montevideo we found eight live (and 30 dead) individuals of two species of South American noctuid moth (Pseudaletia adultera Schaus and Peridroma saucia (Hübner)), presumed to have been attracted to the ship's lights while in port. Neither of these is indigenous to the Falkland Islands. Five of the eight living moths (all P. adultera) survived the four days the ship was moored in Stanley and one survived a further four day journey across the Polar Front to Signy Island. Southern oceanic islands are particularly vulnerable to invasion by NIS, with human (shipping) activities being the main route of arrival. With increasing shipping throughout this region some measures have been proposed or adopted to reduce the risk of NIS transfer.

The Antarctic bivalve Yoldia eightsi (Couthouy) has been assessed as a monitor species in the vicinity of a research station at Signy Island. For animals of comparable age n-alkane loading was highest at the site closest to the station. The character of the n-alkane pool of Yoldia varied with distance from the station and also differed from that of the sediment. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) loading was highest 250 m from the station. Loading of n-alkanes and PAH varied through the year; the lowest levels of n-alkanes were in October and the highest in April. The maximum for PAH was in October. Hydrocarbons increased with age for animals from five to 50 years old; 100–2000 ng animal−1 for n-alkanes and 1–21 ng animal−1 for PAH. Tissue concentrations decreased with age; 6000–500 μg kg1 for n-alkanes and 25–5 μg kg−1 for PAH. Several biogenic branched chain alkenes were also present; one C25.3 isomer was predominant at concentrations up to 290 μg kg−1 in mature animals (40% of the aliphatic fraction). Accumulation was not constant with age and concentrations reflected both anthropogenic and biogenic hydrocarbons in the marine environment. Seasonal variation in PAH load suggested the major proportion of accumulation over the year was only temporary. Yoldia eightsi were not suitable to monitor low level contamination such as that at Signy Island and past incidents were not resolved from the background input.

Labidiaster annulatus, Sladen (1889) is a multi-rayed (9–50) voracious Antarctic sea star with numerous large, conspicuous crossed pedicellariae. An active and opportunistic predator, it commonly preys upon euphausiids, amphipods, and small fish in the water column (Dearborn et al. 1991). Labidiaster annulatus is distributed around the Antarctic, Kerguelen, South Orkney, South Sandwich Islands, South Georgia, and Shag Rocks, at recorded depths of 30–440 m (Fisher 1940, unpublished data).

The Patuxent Range forms the most southerly third of the Pensacola Mountains, East Antarctica. Largely unstudied since the original geological survey work of the 1960s, the Patuxent Range was thought to expose metasediments deformed by a single Precambrian event. However, new structural data collected from two geographically separate areas in the central Patuxent Range reveal the presence of three distinct generations of structures. A synthesis of the regional geology together with new data suggests that the Patuxent Formation was mildly deformed during end Cambrian times as part of the late stage Ross Orogeny. However, the most intense deformation, although poorly constrained in age, probably occurred during the Permo-Triassic Gondwanian Orogeny. A third phase of deformation predates the intrusion of 183 Ma lamprophyre dykes and involved an inferred vertical axis rotation of the pre-existing D1 and D2 structures and the localized development of a spaced foliation and mesoscale folding. These D3 structures may be the first evidence of an Early Jurassic deformation event in the Transantarctic Mountains, which correlates with the Peninsula and Rangitata I orogenies of the Antarctic Peninsula and New Zealand, respectively.

Adamussium colbecki is one of the dominant members of the nearshore benthic community around Antarctica (Nicol 1966, Dell 1974). It has been studied from a systematic and biogeographic point of view since the beginning of this century (Smith 1902, Pelseneer 1903). However, detailed knowledge of its biology and ecology has been only acquired during the last decade (Stockton 1984, Berkman 1990, Berkman et al. 1991, Mauri et al. 1990, Nigro et al. 1992, Nakajima et al. 1982).

Tephra in glacial ice provide a method to obtain a depth vs chronology correlation within an ice core. Currently, core sections containing particulate must be sacrificially analysed to determine the nature of the particulate (e.g. aerosol, micrometeor, volcanic ash), and, in the case of volcanic ash, the event tied to the particle. Characterization through melting and chemical analysis precludes, de facto, its use for other purposes. A non-destructive technique to characterize particulates in ice cores prior to sectioning the samples, e.g. optical interrogation, would be useful, especially if chemical information specific to particular volcanic eruptions could be gleaned from such an analysis. We investigated the use of micro-Raman spectroscopy for this purpose. Spectra were obtained on samples of Antarctic blue ice tephra from different sources along with a reference ash sample of New Mexico Bandelier Tuff. Vitreous and crystalline particles in the samples were characterized. For vitreous material, a detailed analysis of the Raman-active vibrational bands of the glass structure was found to have the potential of being a unique identifier of the source of the glass, however, additional library development is needed for implementation.