Several grounding zone wedges were left on the floor and flanks of Prydz Channel in western Prydz Bay by the Lambert Glacier during the last glacial cycle. Seismic profiles indicate that vertical accretion at the glacier bed was the most important depositional process in forming the wedges, rather than progradation by sediment gravity flows. Sidescan sonographs reveal extensive development of flutes on the sea floor inshore from the wedges, indicating deformable bed conditions beneath the ice. The region inshore of the east Prydz Channel wedge features extensive dune fields formed by currents flowing towards the grounding zone. This orientation is consistent with models of circulation beneath ice shelves in which melting at the grounding line generates plumes of fresher water that rise along the base of the ice shelf, entraining sea water into a circulation cell. The Lambert Deep is surrounded by a large composite ridge of glacial sediments. Internal reflectors suggest formation mostly by subglacial accretion. The sea floor in the Lambert Deep lacks dune fields and shows evidence of interspersed subglacial cavities and grounded ice beneath the glacier. The absence of bedforms reflects sea floor topography that would have inhibited the formation of energetic melt water-driven circulation.

New apatite fission-track (AFT) ages from Heimefrontfjella and Mannefallknausane indicate that the Mesoproterozoic basement and Permian sedimentary cover rocks were heated to c. 100°C during the Mesozoic. Heating was due to the burial by up to 2000 m of Jurassic lavas at c. 180 Ma, when the area was affected by the Bouvet/Karoo hot spot. Near the developing coastline, the lava pile was quickly eroded and in part deposited on the continental shelf as pebbly and coarse-grained volcaniclastic sandstones. The AFT data indicate that farther inland the lava pile was not eroded until c. 100 Ma, and the Palaeozoic unconformity between the Mesoproterozoic basement and Permo–Carboniferous sedimentary rocks as a reference plane remained at temperatures of c. 80°C. Formation of an up to 800 m b.s.l. deep graben in from Heimefrontfjella as well as flexural uplift and rapid denudational cooling of the not extended crust from Heimefrontfjella southwards occurred at c. 100 Ma. It is speculated that a period of major plate reorganisation and new rifting at c. 100 Ma is responsible for affecting a much wider continental margin as far inland as Heimefrontfjella and producing a total relief in excess of 3500 m.

Miocene–Recent alkaline volcanic rocks form numerous outcrops scattered widely throughout the Antarctic Peninsula and eastern Ellsworth Land. They occur mainly as short-lived (typically 1–2 million years) monogenetic volcanic fields but include a large outcrop area in northern Antarctic Peninsula which includes several substantial polygenetic shield volcanoes that were erupted over a 10 million year period (the James Ross Island Volcanic Group (JRIVG)). As a whole, the outcrops are of considerable importance for our understanding of the kinematic, petrological and palaeoenvironmental evolution of the region during the late Cenozoic. Until now, there has been no formal stratigraphical framework for the volcanism. Knowledge of the polygenetic JRIVG is still relatively poor, whereas a unifying lithostratigraphy is now possible for the monogenetic volcanic fields. For the latter, two new volcanic groups and twelve formations are defined, together with descriptions of the type sections. The volcanic fields (both polygenetic and monogenetic) vary in area from c. 1 to 4500 km2, and aeromagnetic data suggest that one may exceed 7 000 km2. The rocks are divisible into two contrasting petrological ‘series’, comprising basanites–phonotephrites and alkali basalts–tholeiites. The JRIVG is dominated by alkali basalts–tholeiites but also contains rare basanites, and phonotephrite–tephriphonolite compositions occur in minor pegmatitic segregations in sills. By contrast, in the monogenetic volcanic fields, basanites–phonotephrites generally form the older outcrops (mainly 15–5.4 Ma) and alkali basalts–tholeiites the younger outcrops (4(?)–<1 Ma). Throughout the region, erupted volumes of alkali basalts–tholeiites were an order of magnitude greater, at least, than those of basanite–phonotephrite compositions. Interpretation of the lithofacies indicates varied Miocene–Recent palaeoenvironments, including eruption and deposition in a marine setting, and beneath Alpine valley glaciers and ice sheets. Former ice sheets several hundred metres thick, and fluctuating ice surface elevations, which were generally higher during the eruptive periods than at present, can also be demonstrated.

Highly deformed metaconglomerates, mafic to felsic in composition, characterize the eastern Lanterman Range (northern Victoria Land, Antarctica). In the literature the mafic and felsic metaconglomerates are known as Husky Conglomerate and Lanterman Conglomerate respectively. They occur in a 25 km long strip along the Lanterman Fault, which is a major tectonic boundary between the Wilson and the Bowers terranes. New field observations show that there is a gradual transition from mafic to felsic metaconglomerates: this supports a stratigraphical continuum from Husky to Lanterman Conglomerate, and indicates that they belong to the same sedimentary succession. Structural analysis indicates that Husky and Lanterman conglomerates suffered the same structural evolution. From all these evidences, there is no reason to distinguish two types of metaconglomerates, apart from the diversity in the lithological features. However the two terms “Husky Conglomerate” and “Lanterman Conglomerate” can be still used to refer to the mafic and felsic facies of the same sedimentary succession. On the basis of their lithology the Husky Conglomerate can be derived from the Glasgow volcanic arc, whereas the felsic clasts of the Lanterman Conglomerate may be derived from a continental basement below the Glasgow arc or from a continental block bounding the Bowers trough.

Much of Antarctica's Devonian to Jurassic geological history is interpreted from the study of the Beacon Supergroup in the central Transantarctic Mountains. The upper part of the succession has been extensively investigated, although, few studies focus on the basal rocks. Deposition occurred within a Transantarctic basin believed to have extended along the edge of the East Antarctic Craton in early Beacon time, either as a marginal, passive margin, or a cratonic basin. Early basinal deposits include the Devonian Taylor Group and Upper Carboniferous–Lower Permian glacial sediments. Previous studies concluded that the Taylor Group in CTM was deposited as a continuous sheet across the low-relief Kukri Erosion Surface that developed on the planed Ross orogenic belt. These interpretations also concluded that late Palaeozoic glaciation truncated the Devonian sheet. New data suggest that this view, and current models for the early Beacon basin, maybe incorrect. Lithofacies, palaeocurrent orientations, sandstone composition, and stratigraphical relationships of central Transantarctic Mountains rocks suggest that deposition occurred within two intermontane or successor basins following post-orogenic uplift of the Ross terrain. Segregation of lithofacies and onlap of Taylor Group rocks onto an undulating Kukri Erosion Surface show that a basement high separated non-marine deposits between the Byrd and Ramsey glaciers from marine sediment in the Ohio Range. Onlap of glacial rocks and palaeocurrent data suggest intermontane conditions continued until the Early Permian.

Because of the lack of a definitive air link to an international gravity base station, the Antarctic Peninsula gravity network was originally, and still is, tied to the Potsdam gravity system via long ship links to South America (Renner 1981, Kennett 1965). An indirect link from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientific station at Rothera to an International Gravity Standardisation Net 1971 (IGSN 71) base station in the UK had previously been made via a link to the BAS gravity station on the Falkland Islands in Port Stanley (McGibbon 1988). Whilst the apparent gravity difference between Port Stanley and the base station in the UK had been calculated via a two-way air tie using a LaCoste and Romberg meter (McGibbon 1988) and later strengthened with three two-way air ties using four LaCoste and Romberg meters (Bassett 1987), the link between Port Stanley and Rothera was based on a one-way tie that included a lengthy ship borne passage (McGibbon 1988). The weakness of this link insured that the adopted gravity value at Rothera continued to be based on the ship ties made by Griffiths et al. (1964) and Kennett (1965). This note describes the strengthening of the gravity link between Rothera and Port Stanley and the subsequent reassignment of the adopted gravity value at Rothera Station.

Simultaneous acoustic Doppler sodar and tethersonde measurements were used to study some of the characteristics of the unstable boundary layer at Dumont d'Urville, Adélie Land, East Antarctica during the summer 1993–94. A description of the convective boundary layer and its behaviour in connection with the wind regime is given along with the frequency distribution of free convection episodes. The surface heat flux has been evaluated using the vertical velocity variance derived from sodar measurements. The turbulent exchange coefficients, estimated by coupling sodar and tethered balloon measurements, are in strong agreement with those present in literature for the Antarctic regions.

The circum-Antarctic clam Laternula elliptica (King & Broderip 1831) is the largest infaunal bivalve of the Southern Ocean. It mostly lives in water depths of less than 100 m (highest densities from 20–30 m; e.g. Ahn 1994), in soft or semi-consolidated substrates from sandy mud to gravelly sand (Soot-Ryen 1951, Nicol 1966). Animals are deep-burrowing (to >0.5 m; Zamorano et al. 1986) and consequently have large siphons. These are fused, highly muscular and covered by thick, rugose periostracum, and are capable of partial retraction only (Burne 1920). The ecology of L. elliptica was likened by Ralph & Maxwell (1977) to that of Mya arenaria L. in northern temperate and Arctic waters.

Measurements of humidity at a height of 4 m were made at Halley Research Station between 1995 and 1997 using a frost point hygrometer. Relative humidities were usually close to ice saturation, particularly during the winter, but ice supersaturations of up to 20% were frequently measured. Supersaturation with respect to liquid water was rarely observed. During the summer, diurnal variation in temperature drove a daily cycle in relative humidity, although corresponding variations in mixing ratio were comparatively small. It is suggested that the high frequency of ice supersaturations and almost total absence of water supersaturation results from the high abundance of condensation nuclei relative to ice nuclei.

Gravity cores taken from five sites in the Nielsen basin, a sinuous trough on the Mac. Robertson shelf of the East Antarctic continental margin, have yielded non-marine palynofloras of late Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous age. The palynomorphs occur in glacimarine muds and are thus not in situ, but the composition of the samples indicates that no mixing of individual assemblages has occurred, and that the sediments were deposited very close to outcrop of the source of the palynomorphs. The sequence is oldest at the seaward end of the Nielsen basin, and youngest near the fault-bounded landward end. It is interpreted as reflecting pre-break-up deposition on a passive, rifted continental margin. The age of the assemblages has been established by comparison with the zonal scheme developed in the Perth Basin of Western Australia. Similarity of the Antarctic palynofloras with those known from basins on the east coast of India confirms continental reconstructions that show this part of East Antarctica to have been contiguous with eastern India prior to break-up. The non-marine character of the palynomorphs suggests that marine conditions in this region of the Antarctic margin did not develop until at least late Early Cretaceous time.

Large glacial boulders, up to several metres in diameter, resting on the lake ice are a remarkable feature of Lake Untersee (71°21'S, 13°28'E), an ice-dammed, perennially frozen freshwater lake in the Ottovon-Gruber-Gebirge (Gruber Mountains) of central Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica. A geodetic survey of such ice-rafted boulders was made over two summer seasons to determine the direction and velocity of their movement. They are transported between 3.9 and 11.1 m annually and the residence time of the boulders is estimated at approximately 500 years. Lake Untersee must have been permanently covered with lake ice for at least that long.

Ice core glaciochemical records provide detailed information on past changes in atmospheric chemical composition and circulation, which is essential for understanding the timing and phasing of climatic change in different regions. Atmospheric circulation reconstructions based on these records require knowledge of modern chemical concentration controls (chemical source, transport pathway and strength) and spatial variability. To gain insight into these processes, glaciochemical data collected during reconnaissance drilling in West Antarctica combined with all other existing Antarctic surface snow glaciochemical records are examined for trends in chemical concentration vs distance inland, elevation, and accumulation rate. Snowpit data from inland West Antarctica displays significant spatial variability, suggesting complex patterns of atmospheric circulation and moisture transport in the region. Siple Dome sea-salt and methanesulphonic acid (MSA) concentrations are similar to coastal sites, suggesting enhanced advection of marine air masses to the site. Statistical analysis of a 110-year high-resolution Siple Dome ice core record confirms that strong lower tropospheric circulation dominates the region, which is most likely related to the strength of the Amundsen Sea low pressure system. An atmospheric circulation reconstruction based on the ice core glaciochemical data displays significant interannual and decadal-scale variability, but there is no overall trend in atmospheric circulation strength at Siple Dome in the past 110 years.

CCl3F (or CFC-11) and CCl2F2 (or CFC-12) were determined in air samples collected, during subsequent summer Antarctic campaigns, in different sampling sites in the Ross Sea Region. The samples were analysed by GC-ECD after enrichment. Data obtained since 1988–89 were plotted to observe the trend of CFCs atmospheric concentration levels. A decrease in the rate of increase of CFC-12 concentration was observed, whilst the concentration of CFC-11 was actually seen to be decreasing.