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Antarctic
Research Centre
ANNUAL REVIEW 2013
DIRECTOR’S SUMMARY
Digging out the food storage cave,
RICE Camp at Roosevelt Island, Antarctica - Photo: Darcy Mandeno
Although 2013 began with a budgetary science questions, and believe this has Our 21 postgraduate students are the climate change stakeholders. I am always constantly evolving throughout 2013 with the MBIE Past Antarctic Climates
challenge – which was to find new benefited the research focus of the ARC. heart and soul of the ARC, providing impressed by the skill and enthusiasm, the newly-formed, New Zealand Antarctic Programme, which faces a strategic
revenue to offset the loss of the On the research funding front, a major vitality, intellectual stimulation and not to mention the time and energy, our Research Institute (NZARI) running two review in 2014.
Ministry of Business Innovation achievement was the award of three horsepower to our research. It’s researchers put into communication and funding rounds to allocate much-needed
and Employment (MBIE) ANZICE new Marsden Fund projects to ARC great to see that a large number of outreach. In this review we outline an new support from philanthropic sources. So finally, with the latest IPCC Report
Programme – it stands out as one of researchers Ruzica Dadic, Huw Horgan, our postgraduate students are from impressive array of TV, print and radio The ARC was also heavily involved in highlighting the large uncertainties that
the Antarctic Research Centre’s (ARC) and I. Gavin Dunbar was also successful overseas and most of our students are media, public lectures, school visits and developing proposals for the “Deep still exist in the response of the southern
most successful years, especially in as co-PI on a proposal led by our close co-supervised by staff at NIWA, GNS outreach events undertaken by ARC staff South” National Science Challenge, led high-latitudes and the Antarctic ice
terms of research outcomes. Peer- collaborator at GNS Science, Richard Science and the School of Geography, and students this year. by NZARI, and the “Ed Hillary Centre of sheets to projected global climate change,
reviewed scientific publications reached Levy. I am extremely proud of the quality Environment and Earth Sciences Research Excellence (CoRE) in Antarctic our mission is as vital as ever. I wish to
an all-time record of 47 and included of the young and early career researchers (SGEES). This leads to a wonderful A highlight of public outreach was the and Southern Hemisphere Change”. acknowledge the outstanding effort of
publications in leading journals such we have developed and mentored within cross-fertilisation of cultures, resources global launch on Earth Day (22 April) While in early 2014 we found out we our staff and students, who together with
as Nature (1), Nature Geoscience (3), the ARC family. Rob McKay was one of and ideas. We acknowledge in this review of the film, Thin Ice: The Inside Story were unsuccessful in making the CoRE our partners and collaborators, continue
Proceedings of the National Academy of three Victoria University researchers submission of three research theses and of Climate Science, in at least 120 short-list, the plan developed by the ARC to produce high-quality, world-class
Sciences, Geology, Quaternary Science to receive a 2013 Rutherford Discovery welcome new research students. countries and on all seven continents, and its national (Joint Antarctic Research excellent research within a challenging
Reviews, Geophysical Research Letters, Fellowship, adding to the Rutherford with over 200 organised screenings and Institute; JARI) and international and constantly evolving New Zealand
Journal of Geophysical Research and Discovery success Nancy Bertler We outline how our integrated 19,000 online views. This initiative, partners was a valuable exercise, and science and innovation sector.
Paleoceanography. celebrated two years ago. Over the last 10 paleoclimate, modern process and championed by Peter Barrett, involves a will be a template for future research
years seven of the ARC’s young scientists numerical modelling approach has collaboration between Victoria University prioritisation and collaboration. The
A major milestone has been the have received Marsden Fast-Start provided some fundamental insights of Wellington, the University of Oxford shape of the Deep South Challenge will
publication of the Intergovernmental Awards (Huw Horgan, Ruzica Dadic, into the response of ice sheets, glaciers, and DOX Productions, London, was continue to evolve in 2014.
Panel on Climate Change’s 5th Nick Golledge, Brian Anderson, Andrew oceans and the climate system to global over six years in the making, and takes
Assessment Report, Climate Change 213: Mackintosh, Gavin Dunbar, and Nancy warming, and how that knowledge is a fresh look at the changes taking place With the loss of ~$400,000 p.a. from the
The Scientific Basis. The contribution of Bertler). Some are not so young anymore, transferred to practitioners, the public in the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans and end of the MBIE (predecessor) ANZICE
Victoria University’s three lead authors, but all have gone onto permanent and policymakers. Like last year we ice sheets. The documentary gives Programme to be absorbed into our
including myself, to this 5-6 yearly research positions in New Zealand. describe some highlights from the the public a rare opportunity to see Centre budget, the University generously
authoritative update of past, present Antarctic Geology, Ice Core, Oceans and climate scientists at work, talking about approved a $170,000 deficit budget
and projected climate change and its On that note I would like to recognise Lakes, and Glaciology and Modelling what they do, and their hopes and target. Through tight fiscal management
relevance to policymakers, is featured and welcome the following new staff teams who all utilize this research fears. The film has already received and new revenue during the year (e.g.
in this review. Over the last four years, positions. Andrew Mackintosh brings approach. international acclaim being accepted NZARI funding success and extension
I contributed to Chapter 5 “Information valuable support to the leadership as and winning awards at documentary of the MBIE Past Antarctic Climates
from Paleoclimate Archives”. While newly-appointed Deputy Director. Nancy The ARC group remains very committed film competitions. The films Victoria Programme) our end of year result was a
time-consuming, it has been a privilege Bertler was promoted to Associate to science communication through public University based director, Simon Lamb creditable $92,000 deficit – representing
to work and collaborate with some of Professor, Rob McKay was promoted outreach and advice to government (SGEES), was recognised with the 2013 a claw-back of $78,000. The 2014 budget
the world’s leading climate researchers. to Senior Lecturer, Nick Golledge officials and policymakers as well as the Science Communicators Award, by the remains tight, but with the addition of
I have been intellectually-stimulated and Ruzica Dadic take up permanent delivery of relevant outcomes for end- New Zealand Association of Scientists. new Marsden and Rutherford funding
by this opportunity, and gained an positions as Senior Research Fellow and users, such as other science providers, the short-term prognosis remains
enormous appreciation for how our Research Fellow, respectively. Half of local authorities, government agencies, The Antarctic research funding space good. A major wild-card for our future Professor Tim Naish
research contributes to “policy-relevant” Nick’s time is shared with GNS Science. industry, and international Antarctic and in New Zealand has been dynamic and sustainability remains the future of Director, Antarctic Research Centre
antarctic research centre - annual review 2013 1
OUR MISSION
AND RESEARCH
The Antarctic Research Centre mission is “to
improve understanding of Antarctic climate
APPROACH
history and processes and their influence on
New Zealand and the global climate system.”
We believe this field provides exciting
opportunities and challenges attractive to
young researchers, and is needed to provide a
sound basis for international debate, predicting
impacts and developing adaptation for New
Zealand, as well as policy development on global
change issues.
The Antarctic Research Centre (ARC) is one of a number of climates that are similar to future projections and we study
centres of research excellence within the Faculty of Science at their influence on the global climate system, especially the
Victoria University of Wellington and reports directly to the Southwest Pacific region and New Zealand. Our research is
Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty. It is co-located within the leveraged by strong national and international collaborations
School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, with and partnerships and world leading in-house polar drilling
which it shares academic staff and facilities. It also contributes technology provided by the Science Drilling Office, which is
to both undergraduate and graduate teaching and supervision funded and supported through a range of MBIE and Marsden
in the fields of sedimentology, glaciology, paleoclimatology and programmes, Antarctica New Zealand and private donations.
Antarctic affairs. Our approach involves:
a. The acquisition of past (paleo) observations of surface
Our Research temperature, atmospheric circulation and composition
(greenhouse gases and aerosols), ice sheet, glacier, and sea-ice
The warming trend observed over the past century and models variability, and oceanic conditions from geological and ice core
of its future trajectory suggest that we are rapidly heading archives.
towards a climate last experienced more than 3 million years
ago. In order to assess model-based climate projections, b. Undertaking process studies of modern glaciers and glacial
Contents
scientists are increasingly looking back to the future to gain and marine systems.
insights into the likely response of Earth’s climate. Ice sheets
Antarctic climate history from geological archives 4
and oceans are some of the slowest responding elements of c. Integrating the observations and processes with numerical
Antarctic climate history from ice core archives 6
the climate system to an atmospheric CO2 perturbation - modelling to understand sensitivity and response of the
SW Pacific and New Zealand climate history 8
Glaciology and Modelling 10 taking centuries to millennia to play out, and are therefore Antarctic ice sheet and climate system to the type of forcings
Science Drilling Office 12 potentially irreversible on human timescales. Paleoclimate and feedbacks projected for the future.
Significant Events 14 reconstructions provide the only possible way to assess the
Teaching and Supervision 25 long term “end game” (equilibrium response), that we will d. Comparison and correlation with equivalent “far-field”
Outreach 26 commit our planet to this century based on the current warming observations and reconstructions, of global extent, and within
Financial Summary 28 scenarios - which virtually guarantee +2-3°C increase in global the SW Pacific and New Zealand (e.g. records of global sea-level
Publications 30
surface temperature. Paleoclimate records also allow the role and local New Zealand ocean and climate change).
Conferences 32
anthropogenic influences to be determined in the context of
People 34
natural variability of the climate system on human timescales. e. We disseminate our research findings through publications
in the world’s leading scientific journals, and through education,
This is why at the ARC we focus on reconstructing the response communication and outreach to the public, practitioners and
of the Antarctic cryosphere and Southern Ocean to past policy makers.
Upper Tasman Glacier, New Zealand - Photo: Huw Horgan
antarctic research centre - annual review 2013 3
ICE SHEETS
HATE WATER
An iceberg viewed during IODP Expedition 318 - Photo: Rob McKay
Confirmation that major parts of the Antarctic
study in Nature Geoscience investigating the development of continental-scale the majority of ice sheet retreat at the Ross Sea, following on from the Deep Sea
ice sheet, equivalent to 22 m of global sea-level marine mud deposited offshore of glaciations on Antarctica by the end of marine margin of this ice sheet occurred Drilling Project Leg 28 in 1973 in this
East Antarctica during the Pliocene. the Eocene. after 12,000 years ago, coinciding with region - Peter Barrett’s first involvement
rise, lie below sea-level and are vulnerable to
Geochemical fingerprinting indicated warming of the Southern Ocean adjacent in geological drilling in Antarctica.
a warming ocean is focussing ARC research that this mud was eroded from rocks to the ice sheet. Despite this conclusion,
currently hidden under the ice sheet and Community-Based Review of there remain large uncertainties on these Finally, Tim had Marsden Fund success
efforts on past East Antarctic Ice Sheet–ocean
could only be eroded by an ice sheet that the Antarctic Ice Sheet Since ages, and Andrew’s review emphasized with his proposal to drill two sediment
interactions. had retreated inland. They concluded the Last Great Ice Age the sparse nature of these key datasets, cores from the Wanganui Basin, with the
that combined with the loss of the smaller and the complete lack of data from large aim to identify the amplitude of sea-level
West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets Several ARC staff and students have regions of East Antarctica. Rob was variability associated with Antarctic ice
Modern and ancient sedimentary systems potentially sensitive to melting as ocean this retreat resulted in sea-level rises of played a key role in a series of review also involved in a similar review of the sheet retreat during the warm Pliocene
from the margin of Antarctica and in temperatures warm. ~20 m above present-day levels. papers in the journal Quaternary Science Ross Sea sector of the West Antarctic ~3 million years ago, with drilling
the Southern Ocean provide important Reviews as part of a collective effort by Ice Sheet, led by John Anderson (Rice scheduled for mid-2014.
archives of changes in the behaviour of The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Rob was also involved in another IODP the Antarctic Climate Evolution (ACE) University).
CONTACT: [email protected]
ice sheets and their influence on global (IODP) Expedition 318 to Wilkes Land in Expedition 318 study published in Programme of the Scientific Committee
climate, ocean circulation and sea-level. East Antarctica in 2010 was the first visit Proceedings of the National Academy for Antarctic Research. These papers
COLLABORATORS:
The following highlights some recently by IODP to the Antarctic for a decade, of Sciences, led by Peter Bijl (Utrecht outlined the present state of knowledge An Eye to the Future Alfred Wegener Institute (Germany)
published research from the ARC’s and drilled offshore of the largest sector University), examining the causes of from the Antarctic geological community GNS Science
geology group. of the EAIS that is grounded below sea global cooling and ice sheet development regarding the extent and retreat of the On average it takes a decade to get a new Imperial College London (UK)
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia
level. One of the longest running debates in Antarctica following a period of Antarctic ice sheets since the last ice drilling project from the planning phase
(Italy)
in Antarctic geosciences concerns the extreme greenhouse gas concentrations age. The retreat of these ice sheets is to have drill core in hand. This year has
NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea
The Sleeping Giant relative stablity of the EAIS during the in the atmosphere (600-1000 ppm). the largest climatic event the earth has been busy one for proposal writing, as Research (The Netherlands)
Pliocene epoch, 5-3 million years ago, Following this extreme greenhouse world experienced in the past 18,000 years, we attempt to start an ambitious new Northern Illinois University (USA)
Much of the ARC’s geological research a debate that the ARC’s Peter Barrett in the mid Eocene, at about yet identifying the key mechanisms that wave of drilling projects in the Ross Rice University
Rutgers University (USA)
over the past decade has focussed on has been at the centre of for much of 48 million years ago, a period of cooling led to this event, that saw sea-levels rise Sea and beyond. Proposals for the next
Stanford University (USA)
the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in the Ross his career. During this time, global was reconstructed from the analyses by 120 m at an average rate of 1 m per phase of ANDRILL drilling at Coulman
The Pennsylvania State University (USA)
Embayment, in particular the results temperatures were 2-3°C higher than on fossil algae and organic biomarker century, is hampered by a lack of good High have been submitted by adjunct Universita` di Siena (Italy)
from the ANDRILL Program. In the last today and atmospheric carbon dioxide proxies. These showed that surface chronological data of ice sheet extent and researcher Richard Levy (GNS Science) University of Birmingham (UK)
couple of years our attention has turned was ~400 ppm, thus providing an insight waters and Antarctic air temperatures retreat. and Tim Naish to recover a geological University of Canterbury
University of Massachusetts (USA)
to the much larger East Antarctic Ice into ice sheet response to similar climates began to cool as the southern margin history of Eocene greenhouse climates,
University of Nebraska-Lincoln (USA)
Sheet (EAIS), equivalent to ~53 m of sea predicted for the future. of Australia began a major phase of Andrew Mackintosh led a group of 23 and the transition to the first ice sheets in
University of Otago
level if it were all to melt. While such a separation from the Antarctic, and this international researchers (including four Antarctica. Utrecht University (The Netherlands)
scenario is unlikely in the foreseeable Rob McKay, PhD student Molly event helped terminate global warmth other ARC staff and students) in a review Western Michigan University (USA)
future, approximately 19 m of this is Patterson, and a team led by Cary Cook during the early-mid Eocene hothouse, of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat Meanwhile, Rob led a IODP proposal to Yale University (USA)
grounded below sea-level, making it (Imperial College London) published a and ultimately this cooling gave rise to since this ice age. This evidence suggested drill a transect of cores in the Eastern
antarctic research centre - annual review 2013 5
MELTING WEST
ANTARCTIC ICE
Melting the RICE ice core - Photo: Nancy Bertler
After the successful recovery of the 763 m deep ice for one year at warmer temperatures achieving the fastest published response However, first emerging records already D.Emanuelsson, W.Feitang, J.Fitzpatrick,
of -18°C. From April to July 2014, the time of any such instruments. This is excite the RICE team. At the conclusion TJ.Fudge, A.Giese, V.Gkinis, I.Goodwin,
Roosevelt Island Climate Evolution (RICE) ice M.Grant, S.Haines, M.Hansson, B.Hawley,
international core processing teams important as a fast response time permits of the processing campaign, the RICE M.Hendley, R.Hindmarsh, Y.Jiao, J.Kaiser,
core during the 2012/13 Antarctic field season, will convene again in New Zealand to a higher resolution analysis. During Science team met at GNS Science for D.Kalteyer, L.Keller, S.Kipfstuhl, H.Kjaer,
complete the core processing. the core processing campaign, Daniel the Third International RICE Workshop E.Korotkikh, A.Kurbatov, L.Lanci, J.Lee,
2013 was dedicated to processing and analysing V.Maggi, D.Mandeno, S.Mawdesley,
led the night shift team operating the to share first data and discuss future P.Mayewski, R.McKay, A.Menking,
the precious ice. seven continuous flow instruments and steps. Because of its location at the U.Morgenstern, P.Neff, S.Phipps, B.Proemse,
Diary of an Ice Core collecting large numbers of discrete northern edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, the A.Pyne, R.Pyne, J.Rawson, E.Saltzmann,
R.Scherer, S.Semper, J.Severinghaus,
Processor samples. ice is expected to be a sensitive recorder W.Shimeng, S.Sneed, E.Steig, A.Tuohy,
From May to August, the ice core group’s Reaching Breaking Point of the Ross Ice Shelf retreat history F.Valero-Delgado, P.Vallalonga,
international collaborators descended Our PhD students were critical to the Andrea Tuohy set-up the Element II when Antarctica warmed after the last E.Waddington, J.West, H.Winton, D.Zhang
on the New Zealand National Ice Core The teams processed the ice with great success of this operation and took on ICP-MS instrument at the Victoria ice age. This record will allow us to
CONTACT: [email protected]
Facility at GNS Science. The 27 staff and success and ahead of schedule, feeling important responsibilities. Peter Neff, University Geochemistry Laboratory for determine the sensitivity of the ice shelf
students from 12 nations participated optimistic that the core processing would who has extensive prior experience with ultra low concentration measurements to ocean warming along with changes COLLABORATORS:
in the core processing campaign. Using be completed. However, this was not ice core processing led the core cutting pushing the limits of analytical chemistry in atmospheric circulation and sea ice Alfred Wegener Institute (Germany)
Antarctica New Zealand
a new combination of Danish, New to be. In every ice sheet exists a zone of team in the freezer, spending 8-10 hours/ and spending many hours searching for cover, which will help to improve future
British Antarctic Survey (UK)
Zealand, Australian and US components, brittle ice. Here the gas bubble pressure day at -18°C with a team of 3-5 staff. higher sensitivity to detect ever lower projections of the potential collapse
Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences
the RICE continuous melt system was and the ice crystal characteristics create Here, each metre was cut into seven contaminant levels. It was essential to of the Ross Ice Shelf and thus West Chinese Academy of Sciences
set-up, including seven continuous flow highly stressed ice which fractures parallel, 1 m long sections – allocations monitor contamination levels before Antarctica. An initial annual layer count Curtin University (Australia)
instruments analysing the RICE core easily when drilled or processed and for nine nations and over 50 planned and during the core processing to of geochemical tracers as well as a first Dartmouth College (USA)
GNS Science
in real time as the core melted. The can disintegrate into mere rubble when measurements. The cleanly cut planes guarantee ultra clean conditions were interpretation of volcanic markers in the
McQuarie University (Australia)
exceptionally high-resolution, continuous handled. The New Zealand ice core provided an ideal surface to measure maintained, as some elements are record provided a means to constrain
Northern Illinois University (USA)
flow records include measurements drilling system achieved exceptionally electric conductivity, which provided measured at concentration levels of parts the age model developed by T.J. Fudge Oregon State University (USA)
from; the melted water of the ice (water high core quality through the brittle ice the first glimpse at the age of the ice per quadrillion. In addition, Andrea and (University of Washington) and others. SCRIPPS (USA)
isotope ratios, black carbon and calcium zone, however, as the core processing by detecting past volcanic eruptions Rebecca Pyne (GNS Science) led the The refined age model suggests that University of California, Irvine (USA)
University of Copenhagen (Denmark)
concentrations, pH and conductivity teams cut the ice from 500 m depth, and large climatic transitions. The core discrete sampling logistics of collecting the entire RICE core provides a high
University of Delaware (USA)
variations), the gas bubbles (methane the ice started to explode. The team stratigraphy was logged at the same and registering over 30,000 samples and resolution record of the deglaciation
University of Maine (USA)
and carbon monoxide concentrations) tried various approaches with limited time and the team found five ash layers, ensuring their integrity for geochemical history in the Ross Sea region and a University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy)
and dust (quantity and grain size success, watching on as precious ice providing valuable, independent age analysis. lower resolution record extending back to University of New South Wales (Australia)
characteristics). In addition, over 30,000 cracked and fractured, rendering core benchmarks. >60,000 years and perhaps beyond. University of Stockholm (Sweden)
University of Urbino (Italy)
discrete samples were collected in ultra sections unsuitable for high resolution,
clean vials for geochemical analyses, and continuous flow analysis. At 512 m, Daniel Emanuelsson together with Peeking into the Treasure RT.IBCeEer sT,e Ha.mBe:r Bge.A, lNlo.Bwearyt,l eTr.,B Ta.iBsdluenni,e r, UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff WWaaiskhaitnogton (USA)
the first 1,000 discrete ice samples were Nancy Bertler, RICE Chief Scientist, Troy Baisden (GNS Science) developed Chest D.Bowden, E.Brook, S.Canessa, C.Cary, U.S. Geological Survey
also cut. decided to stop the processing to allow the continuous flow Los Gatos laser G.Ciobanu, D.Clemens-Sewall, H.Conway,
the ice to relax. The consensus was that absorption spectroscopy analyzer for The RICE records will provide food C.Cunde, R.Dadic, D.Dahl-Jensen,
N.Dunbar, B.Delmonte, R.Edwards, A.Ellis,
this would be best achieved by resting the measuring stable water isotopes and for thought for many years to come.
antarctic research centre - annual review 2013 7
BENEATH
THE WAVES
Seas and passing squall off Riversdale, Wairarapa, New Zealand - Photo: Lionel Carter
Considering that water covers more than 70%
to bring about major changes in ocean temperatures, plankton productivity and Lakes - A View of Past major drivers of New Zealand’s winds,
of Earth’s surface, the roles played by lakes and currents and the production of plankton. water masses - findings that are now Weather and Climate rainfall, and air temperature.
Subtropical currents strengthened to being applied to earlier warm periods.
oceans are pivotal to determining how the planet
Tasmania and caused the existing trans- Another development and application Lake Ohau, in the South Island, has Lake Tutira, North Island is also
will respond to future change. Tasman flow to transport more warm of proxies for past ocean change are thousands of years worth of finely providing detailed insights into polar-
water to southernmost New Zealand. This the trace element signatures preserved layered sediments with each layer tropical forcing and their impact on
raised ocean surface temperatures on in the calcium carbonate shells of probably representing one year of climate, but this time from a central
Studies of lake and marine sediments Chewings completed a research paper in Campbell Plateau by 2°C and more. Bella planktonic foraminifera. Julene Marr sedimentation. This was confirmed by North Island perspective (Gomez
identify how environments behaved Sedimentology (2014) on the quantities Duncan’s MSc research on the plateau used elements such as magnesium, PhD student Heidi Roop, who further et al., The Holocene). Despite its
under past warm periods and hence of dust blown onto the sea ice each year. sediments reveals a shift in plankton; manganese and zinc to identify variations revealed the layers vary in response to northerly position, Lake Tutira still
reveal the natural cycles of change as well Former MSc student Holly Winton from animal-dominant to plant-dominant in ocean surface temperatures and water seasonal variations in climate (paper in feels the influence of Antarctica via
as the long-term effects of warming. That extended that analysis, by assessing the communities. That shift has potential mass characteristics off Hawke Bay review in Sedimentology). The present SAM, which interacts with ENSO to
information, coupled with knowledge potential of this dust to “fertilize” the implications for the marine food chain since the last ice age, ~20,000 years sediment record extends back ~2000- regulate rainfall and storminess - the
of the physical and biological processes Ross Sea with iron (in review in Global and the biological influences on the ago. Results from her PhD, published 1200 years and enables detection of intensity of which depends on whether
that affect the modern world, greatly Biogeochemical Cycles). While the sea uptake/release of carbon dioxide. in Paleoceanography and Chemical hydrologic change at sub-decadal and SAM and ENSO are in or out of phase.
enhance our ability to predict the future. ice appears dust-strewn, there was not Geology, identify dominant sub-Antarctic possibly annual scales that currently That phasing has varied with time and
Using pollen preserved in cores from the
In that light, the ARC’s lake-ocean group, enough material to be the main source influences in cold periods and strong indicate a strong relationship between appears to be superimposed on a long-
Tasman Sea, PhD student Matt Ryan is
in close collaboration with New Zealand of iron fertiliser. The answer must be subtropical influences in warm phases. sedimentation, decreasing precipitation term intensification of the Southern
assessing patterns of vegetation during
and international colleagues, is making elsewhere – perhaps in the upwelling of and persistent change in the flow of Hemisphere westerly winds.
another warm period 440,000 years Knowledge of the climate and
marked progress in determining how the deep, nutrient-rich ocean waters across westerly winds.
New Zealand environment “ticks” under the Antarctic margin. ago. At that time, dominant forest trees oceanographic mechanisms that bring CONTACT: [email protected]
like rimu seem to have exceeded their about past change is underpinned The recent award of a Marsden grant
polar to subtropical climatic influences.
optimum growth temperature and thus by studies of modern ocean and to project leaders, Richard Levy (GNS COLLABORATORS:
Polar and Tropical Forcing of the forest was quite different to today. climate as undertaken by former Science), and Gavin will extend the Australian National University
Fertilising the Antarctic New Zealand Former PhD student Joe Prebble assessed MSc student Denise Fernandez. Her investigation back to the last ~17,000 Cambridge University (UK)
GNS Science
Ocean past warm periods using the organic thesis-derived paper in the Journal of years. This will be achieved by coring International Cable Protection Committee (UK)
New Zealand’s highly variable climate remains of minute marine plankton Geophysical Research (2014), confirms through the 70-100 m-thick sediment Meridian Energy - Twizel
An outstanding natural feature of the and ocean reflect the interaction of called dinoflagellates. This research a strengthening of the subtropics in a cover to the underlying lake floor. This NIWA
Ross Sea is the seasonal blooming of Antarctic and tropical forces, which vary required considerable development to warmer world - in this case the present sediment has accumulated since glaciers Southampton University (UK)
plankton. For a few weeks over summer markedly in time and space. A study of determine if these plankton could be phase of warming. Observations spanning last occupied the lake. Because of the University of California at Davis (USA)
University of New South Wales (Australia)
this region is one of the most biologically the SW Pacific Ocean involving Gavin used as proxies for past environmental two decades reveal a more vigorous and detail in this record, it will provide a
University of Otago
productive in the world. A possible trigger Dunbar and Lionel Carter (Cortese et al., conditions. The results, published as two warmer inflow of subtropical water off much-needed insight into the interactions U.S. Geological Survey
for these blooms is the introduction of Paleoceanography) revealed that during papers in Marine Micropaleontology, eastern New Zealand that is consistent of the polar-sourced Southern Annular Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (USA)
iron-rich dust deposited in the ocean the last major warm period, 125,000 confirm that dinoflagellate remains can with an observed intensification of Mode (SAM) and tropical-sourced El-
as sea ice melts. MSc student Jane years ago, the tropics expanded south provide information on ocean surface regional winds. Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) - both
antarctic research centre - annual review 2013 9
ICE SHEETS AND
MOUNTAIN GLACIERS IN
A WARMING WORLD
Calving of the Tasman Glacier, New Zealand - Photo: Brian Anderson
Understanding the present, modelling the past
simulations with geological data his as they provide a pathway for warm publishing her results in Journal of (~65,000 years ago), the Last Glacial
and predicting the future of glaciers and ice experiments have shown that transient ocean water to migrate up-glacier, and Geophysical Research. Ruzica will now Maximum and around the time of the
changes in the ice sheet might be concentrate the drainage of subglacial switch to air bubbles within ice cores in Antarctic Cold Reversal (~13,000 years
sheets: the ARC glaciology group has come of
responsible for many of the details seen melt water emptying into the sub ice- her new Marsden Fast-Start project, in ago). Along with the glacier model that he
age. in the geological record, findings that shelf cavity. Estuaries may be widespread collaboration with Nancy Bertler and has developed with Brian, Shaun’s work
were recently published in Quaternary beneath ice sheets, especially in regions Richard Alley (The Pennsylvania State has potential to significantly advance our
Science Reviews. More recently, he has with low surface gradients and abundant University). understanding of ice ages in the Southern
2013 was an important year for the images, while GPS stations provide been running this model with outputs subglacial melting. Huw’s Marsden Fast- Hemisphere.
glaciology group. The award of Marsden insight into ice dynamics including from palaeoclimate model simulations Start grant will continue this work.
Fast-Start grants to Ruzica Dadic and basal lubrication and iceberg calving. from researchers at University of New The Last Deglaciation in CONTACT: [email protected]
Huw Horgan means that every member Using this data, and the results of a new South Wales, Australia, and has found Antarctica and New Zealand
(Andrew Mackinstosh, Brian Anderson, gravity survey of Tasman Glacier by MSc that a threshold may exist in the way that Antarctic Blue Ice Provides COLLABORATORS:
Nick Golledge, and Ruzica and Huw) student Rory Hart, Brian’s computer the Antarctic ice sheet interacts with its Insight into ‘Snowball Earth’ Two PhD students are making exciting ETH (Switzerland)
GNS Science
has now secured a Marsden grant. This modelling indicates that the effect of surrounding ocean. If Antarctic ice melts progress in understanding how glaciers Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di
According to the ‘Snowball Earth’
provides the autonomy to follow our warming is so pervasive that iconic New fast enough, it has the potential to disrupt responded to the last great warming Geofisica Sperimentale (Italy)
own intellectual paths – while remaining Zealand glaciers will be unrecognisable circulation patterns in the Southern hypothesis, most of the oceans were event on Earth – between the Last Lamont-Doherty Observatory (USA)
part of a group with the purpose of remnants high in the mountains by the Ocean, which we know from paleo-proxy repeatedly covered by ice during Earth’s Glacial Maximum and the present day. Los Alamos National Laboratory (USA)
early history (2.45–2.22 billion and Memorial University of Newfoundland
understanding the response of glaciers end of this century – see ‘Keeping it Pure’ records has significant ramifications for Richard Jones has been working on the
(Canada)
580-730 million years ago). Tropical
and ice sheets to changing climate. (http://www.primetv.co.nz/Default. New Zealand’s climate. Mackay Glacier, at the northern end of NIWA
glaciation must have been facilitated
aspx?tabid=362). the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Richard’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
by a run-away albedo feedback, where new 10Be ages have the promise of (Germany)
Dramatic Retreat of New Discovery of an Estuary the growth of thick ice covering the being one of the finest datasets from St. Olaf College (USA)
Zealand Glaciers Modelling Antarctic Ice- Beneath the West Antarctic sea (known as ‘sea glaciers’) reflected Antarctica, showing how the enormous The Pennsylvania State University (USA)
University of Alaska, Fairbanks (USA)
Ocean Interactions Ice Sheet progressively more incoming solar East Antarctic Ice Sheet and adjacent University of California (USA)
Thousands of tourists used to walk radiation to space, encouraging further
grounded ice in the Ross Sea responded. University of Canterbury
directly onto Franz Josef Glacier each Over the last year Nick Golledge has In September, Huw Horgan published ice build-up. The problem is that tropical University of Maine (USA)
year. Dramatic glacier retreat in the continued to refine his simulations of the the results of an active-source seismic sea glaciers were unlikely to have been Meanwhile, Shaun Eaves has provided University of New South Wales (Australia)
last 18 months has now made this Antarctic ice sheet, focusing on the time survey on Whillans Ice Stream in West snow covered, and most Earth analogues the first chronology of past glacier University of Otago
University of Tasmania (Australia)
impractical. As a consequence, Brian period from the Last Glacial Maximum Antarctica, in the journal Geology. (e.g. the ablation zones of temperate fluctuations on the volcanoes of the
Utrecht University
Anderson has switched from direct mass (~20,000 years ago) through to the This survey, carried out as part of glaciers) are too dark, and couldn’t have central North Island. By working with
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche
balance measurement to monitoring of present-day. Nick uses a sophisticated ice the WISSARD programme (http:// caused this feedback. Ruzica Dadic used Gisela Winkler and Joerg Schaefer Research (Switzerland)
these changes by remote camera and sheet model jointly developed by a NASA- www.wissard.org), provided the first very cold, sublimating blue ice in the (Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory),
GPS. There are now five cameras at funded team in Fairbanks, Alaska, and observational evidence that estuaries Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica as Shaun has shown that Mt Ruapehu and
Franz Josef, Tasman and Fox glaciers, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact occur at the grounding lines of modern an analogue for explaining how ancient Tongariro were last covered by extensive
which have collected around 25,000 Research. By comparing high-resolution ice sheets. Estuaries are important ice may have formed at the Equator, glaciers during Marine Isotope Stage 4
antarctic research centre - annual review 2013 11
DRILL BABY,
DRILL
Loading the Basler, Roosevelt Island, Antarctica - Photo: Jodie Curtis (Antarctica New Zealand)
Drill baby, drill!... seems to be the catchphrase
In total approximately 30 tonnes of final job was to prepare Scott Base staff Minding the Home Front requested for coring Lake Ohau in
for the ever in demand duo at the Science equipment was returned to Scott Base, led by Kate McKenzie (Antarctica New New Zealand’s South Island. This new
much of which was scheduled to return Zealand) to recover the Evans Piedmont Several other projects continued to keep Marsden funded project is likely to
Drilling Office as new scientific drilling projects
to Wellington in containers on the 2014 Automatic Weather Station which hadn’t the Science Drilling Office team busy in be drilled in early 2015 and a new job
are funded. resupply ship operations. However, a been serviced for three seasons. New Zealand. The Roosevelt Island ice for the Science Drilling Office. These
storm at McMurdo in mid February 2014 core processing was a major science effort projects plus Marsden funded drilling in
damaged the ice pier during ship on-load in Wellington and Darcy was involved the Wanganui Basin promises to make
The Science Drilling Office (SDO) is York Air National Guard’s LC 130s and operations, requiring the ship to leave Business Abroad in the design of new equipment and the 2014-15 another busy year for the Science
hosted in the Antarctic Research Centre Kenn Borek’s Basler BT-67s. early and consequently the equipment processing of the ice core at the New Drilling Office.
and comprises Alex Pyne as the Projects will now be delayed until main body Alex was invited to speak at the Fourth Zealand National Ice Core Facility at GNS
Manager and Darcy Mandeno as the The season start and deployment to Scott flights in October 2014 and the next ship International Symposium on Polar Earth Science during May-July. CONTACT: [email protected]
Operations and Field Engineer. The duo Base was delayed two weeks due to the operations in February 2015. Sciences and exploration in Changchun
provide a technical focus and support for U.S. Government shutdown in September China in May and presented a paper on ANDRILL drilling at Coulman High COLLABORATORS:
Antarctica New Zealand
drilling related research undertaken by and early October then further delays RICE field science objectives were also ANDRILL Drilling Technology. He also remains on our radar and in preparation
GNS Science
ARC members. deploying to Roosevelt Island from Scott successfully achieved by our USAP presented a technical presentation on ice for a further science proposal planned
Webster Drilling & Exploration Ltd.
Base due to bad weather. Ultimately RICE collaborators including borehole coring at Roosevelt Island to the Strategic for submission in early 2014 Alex
the silver lining to the U.S. Government logging, with assistance from the New Science in Antarctica Conference held in provided updated technical budgets for
Taking care of business in shutdown was the increased availability Zealand engineering/logistics team, when Hobart in June. incorporation into a US National Science
Antarctica of aircraft assets due to the unfortunate required. Fund bid.
cancellation and reduction of several Alex, Darcy, and PhD student Peter
A significant part of Darcy Mandeno’s high profile USAP field operations in Alex Pyne also went to Antarctica for Neff also attended the 7th International Drilling the Alpine Fault on New
2013 year involved the detailed planning Antarctica, resulting in all the equipment nearly three weeks and was based at Symposium on Ice Drilling in Madison, Zealand’s West Coast will be a major
then leadership of the field team for the removed from Roosevelt Island in two Scott Base, receiving equipment from USA presenting papers on Roosevelt scientific effort in 2014 and Alex has
recovery of all the Victoria University and a half weeks. Excellent field support Roosevelt Island and preparing this Drilling and Logistics and Peter been assisting Rupert Sutherland
RICE drill system and Antarctica New from staff from Antarctica New Zealand for return to New Zealand. In addition presented posters on both brittle ice (GNS Science) to develop the technical
Zealand camp infrastructure from and the Christchurch based Harewood air while at Scott Base an assessment of core processing and also drilling at Mt drilling requirements, drilling contractor
Roosevelt Island. This was a major movements operations air cargo handlers ANDRILL equipment stored at Williams Waddington (British Columbia) which assessments and the tender process to
logistic effort supported by Antarctica of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Field was made for the future planning he previously worked on as a student at engage a drilling contractor.
New Zealand and the US Antarctic contributed to the ultimately successful of Coulman High as well as supervising Washington State University in Seattle.
Program (USAP), with planning that season. the re-berming of this equipment by Scott While in Antarctica, Alex also checked
involved the air assets of the 109th New Base’s Army heavy plant operators. The the ANDRILL soft sediment equipment
antarctic research centre - annual review 2013 13
Antarctic weakens the temperature
gradient between the poles and equators,
as this changes the location and strength
of the westerly winds that pass over
the Southern Ocean and New Zealand
latitudes. These winds help drive global
ROB MCKAY ocean circulation, and regulate the
relative location where Antarctic and
tropical-sourced water masses meet.
AWARDED PRESTIGIOUS These waters currently meet in the
latitude of New Zealand, and as we have
a strongly maritime-influenced climate,
changes in the Southern Ocean and
RUTHERFORD
Antarctica will have a profound impact on
our climate.
DISCOVERY FELLOWSHIP Rob comments that “there are still
numerous first order gaps in our
knowledge of how Antarctica and the
Southern Ocean have responded during
Ernest Rutherford - Photo: Unknown
warmer-than-present past climates,
so we are not short of ideas for future
Rob McKay - Photo: Image Services, VUW
work. We also have a wealth of archive
Rob McKay was one of three Victoria University Minister’s MacDiarmid Emerging the past 23 million years, with particular material from decades of field work in the
Scientist Prize. He has made several reference to how New Zealand’s climate Antarctic to address these questions, but The ten fellowships, administered by the
researchers to receive a 2013 Rutherford
trips to Antarctica, gathering marine is likely to be affected in the future not enough ‘hands on deck’ or existing Royal Society of New Zealand, support
Discovery Fellowship. On top of Nancy Bertler’s sedimentary records and glacial deposits by greenhouse gas emissions. As Rob laboratory facilities in New Zealand to New Zealand’s most talented early- to
to reconstruct episodes of melting and points out, the consequences of Antarctic get though this work. The Rutherford mid-career researchers by providing
success two years ago the ARC now hosts two
cooling in Antarctica over millions of warming are more far-reaching than sea Fellowship allows us to develop these new financial support of $800,000 over a five-
Rutherford Discovery Fellows. years. level rise alone: changes in the Southern lab capabilities, and employ laboratory years to investigate their research topic,
Ocean sea ice belt around Antarctica assistants, so is a fantastic opportunity to and help them further their career.
The Rutherford Discovery Fellowship would affect the primary plankton say something new about climate history
Rob McKay, recently promoted to Senior top glacial sedimentologists, and his will enable Rob to conduct an in-depth productivity in the Southern Ocean. in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica,
Lecturer in the Antarctic Research research into past environmental change study into how the Antarctic ice sheet and and how this may have influenced our
Centre, is emerging as one of the world’s in Antarctica won him the 2011 Prime the Southern Ocean has interacted over Just as critical, is that warming of the own climate in New Zealand”.
ARC SUCCESS IN
temperature.” Bertler). Some are not so young anymore,
MARSDEN FUND
but all have gone onto permanent
Richard Levy (GNS Science), and Gavin research positions in New Zealand,
Dunbar (ARC): “New Zealand’s stormy and higher honours such as Rutherford
Past: Resolving changes in South Island Discovery Fellowships, and more
precipitation under varying influence of Marsden success.
tropical and polar forcing over the past
In 2013 ARC researchers were awarded $1.5M of 17,000 years.”
Pliocene in search of Earth’s future high-
new funding over three years from the Marsden tide.”
We are extremely proud of our history
Fund. Huw Horgan: “Can ice sheets of success with Marsden, especially
with gaining support for early career
help themselves? Investigating
researchers. Over the last 10 years
self-stabilisation and instability in
The Marsden Fund supports research investigating the following projects, seven of the ARC’s young scientists
Antarctica.”
excellence, allowing New Zealand’s which have been funded over a three-year have received Marsden Fast-Start
The successful ARC Marsden recipients
best researchers to explore ideas at period: Ruzica Dadic: “Improving ice core Awards (Huw Horgan, Ruzica Dadic,
(Top L-R) Tim Naish, Huw Horgan,
the forefront of their disciplines. The records-understanding the link between Nick Golledge, Brian Anderson, Andrew (Bottom L-R) Ruzica Dadic and Gavin Dunbar
Tim Naish: “Drilling back to the
successful ARC researchers will be rapid changes of greenhouse gases and Mackintosh, Gavin Dunbar, and Nancy Photos: Image Services, VUW
antarctic research centre - annual review 2013 15
ARC CONTRIBUTES TO
The IPCC AR5 was officially presented
in New Zealand on the 11 October at a
INTERNATIONAL stakeholder workshop in Wellington,
hosted by the Royal Society of New
Zealand. The IPCC Working Group One
CLIMATE CHANGE Co-Chair, Thomas Stocker, from Bern
Switzerland, joined the New Zealand
authors and New Zealand’s IPCC
REPORT Working Group One Bureau Member,
David Wratt (NIWA) to present the
New Jersey shoreline in the aftermath report and answer questions.
of super storm Sandy The summary and the final draft of
Photo: National Geographic Magazine the full Working Group One report is
available at:
www.climatechange2013.org.
Three climate science experts from Victoria in concentration of greenhouse gases in greenhouse gas concentration pathway A hard copy will be available in 2014.
the Earth’s atmosphere, caused primarily we end up following. The West Antarctic The remainder of the AR5 report will be
University of Wellington played a central role in
by the burning of fossil fuels and land Ice Sheet still remains a wild card, and released in stages over the coming year.
the latest global report on the state of the world’s use changes, and a related trend towards the report cautions that only the collapse
ocean acidification. The report reiterates of marine-based sectors of the Antarctic
climate.
that “warming of the climate system ice sheet, if initiated, could cause sea-
is unequivocal” and that the “human level to rise substantially above these
Tim Naish (ARC), David Frame (Climate 60,000 individual review comments influence on the climate system is clear”. ‘likely’ ranges during the 21st century.
Change Research Institute), and on its four drafts. The 14,000 word
James Renwick (School of Geography, “Summary for Policymakers” was Ice core evidence shows that carbon
Environment and Earth Sciences) are approved line by line in a plenary session dioxide concentrations are now at
lead authors on Working Group One in Stockholm between 23-26 September levels unprecedented in at least the last
of the International Panel for Climate and was signed off by 195 countries. 800,000 years, and the report outlines
Change’s (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report four possible future greenhouse gas
(AR5), released in Sweden at the end of For Tim Naish who contributed concentration scenarios to the end of
September. Other contributing authors to Chapter 5 - “Information from this century and beyond, ranging from
who made a valuable contribution to the Paleoclimate Archives”, the experience one in which emissions are substantially
AR5 were Dan Zwartz (ARC) and Chris was challenging and time-consuming, but reduced, to one with continuing high
Hollis (GNS Science). We believe that enormously rewarding and a privilege emission rates. Corresponding estimates
Victoria University may hold the record to be working alongside the world’s for global surface temperature increases
for the most lead authors from a single leading climate scientists. The challenge range from between 0.3 and 1.7ºC, to
institution. was processing such a large volume of between 2.6 and 4.8ºC by the year 2100.
information while remaining objective
Climate Change 2013: The Physical and reaching a consensus amongst your As far as the cryosphere goes, the report
Science Basis, confirms and strengthens peers. You really have to be very critical describes observed changes to Greenland
many of the findings from the Fourth about the quality of evidence and the and Antarctic ice sheets. It is very likely
Assessment Report published in 2007 on confidence that you can place on it. the Arctic sea-ice cover will continue to
observed changes in the global climate, shrink and thin as the region is expected
their underlying causes and their future The latest report documents global to warm more rapidly than other areas of
projections. 209 lead authors and 50 temperature increases of the atmosphere the world. In addition, the volume of the The IPCC Chapter 5 team at work, Marakesh, Morocco - Photo: Tim Naish
review editors from 39 countries spent and oceans, decreases in the volume polar ice sheets and glaciers globally will
four years comprehensively assessing and cover of snow and ice, as well continue to decrease, contributing
the published literature and writing as an average rise in sea level of 19 to a likely range of global mean sea-level
the report, which cites more than 9000 centimetres between 1901 and 2010. It rise between 26-82 centimetres by the
scientific publications and received also documents the continued increase end of the century, depending on the
antarctic research centre - annual review 2013 17