BAS Climate
Lead Research Organisation:
British Antarctic Survey
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| John King (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Albert J
(2009)
Three-dimensional diffusion simulation of outer radiation belt electrons during the 9 October 1990 magnetic storm
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Amaya J
(2015)
The PAC2MAN mission: a new tool to understand and predict solar energetic events
in Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate
Anderson P
(2009)
Measurement of Prandtl Number as a Function of Richardson Number Avoiding Self-Correlation
in Boundary-Layer Meteorology
Andersson M
(2014)
Longitudinal hotspots in the mesospheric OH variations due to energetic electron precipitation
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Andersson M
(2012)
Precipitating radiation belt electrons and enhancements of mesospheric hydroxyl during 2004-2009
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
Andersson ME
(2014)
Missing driver in the Sun-Earth connection from energetic electron precipitation impacts mesospheric ozone.
in Nature communications
Atkinson H
(2014)
Halocarbons associated with Arctic sea ice
in Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers
Atkinson Helen
(2011)
Iodine in sea ice and the polar atmosphere
Ault T
(2009)
Intensified decadal variability in tropical climate during the late 19th century
in Geophysical Research Letters
Bageston J
(2011)
Case study of a mesospheric wall event over Ferraz station, Antarctica (62° S)
in Annales Geophysicae
| Description | BAS Climate Programme Key Findings 2012-13 The polar regions exert controls on global sea level, the carbon cycle, and atmospheric and ocean circulation. The climate of the polar regions is controlled by complex interactions between the Sun, the atmosphere, ocean and sea ice, making accurate prediction of regional climate a formidable challenge. Predicting how polar climate may change is therefore an essential part of understanding the global climate system. The BAS Climate programme uses observations from both polar regions to improve our understanding of how natural and human-induced factors contribute to climate change. Particular emphasis is placed on interactions between the polar regions and the rest of the climate system, and on vertical coupling between different levels in the atmosphere. Key findings for 2012-13 include: Climate variability and change: - Studies using atmospheric analyses and models have provided new insight into how the Antarctic ozone hole has impacted on atmospheric circulation. It has been demonstrated that changes in the structure of the stratosphere due to the ozone hole affect the propagation of atmospheric waves, driving a signal that propagates down to the surface. - Changes in atmospheric wave propagation have also been shown to impact on how the tropical stratosphere affects the polar stratospheric vortex. - Analysis of Antarctic climate and atmospheric circulation data has shown that the relationship between the Southern Annular Mode and East Antarctic temperatures is not robust, but has recently reversed sign. This has important consequences for regional climate projections. Climate processes: - Airborne measurements made during the IceBell campaign have revealed the complex spatial structure of Antarctic sea ice at unprecedented resolution. Space weather: - Pioneering forecasts of conditions in the Earth's radiation belts have been made with the SPACECAST model. - A new global model of chorus waves has been developed and tested in radiation belt models. |
| Exploitation Route | Beneficiaries include the climate and space weather research communities, developers of climate and weather prediction models (e.g. UK Met Office, ECMWF), other polar science communities (e.g. glaciology, marine biology), international advisory bodies (e.g. through our contributions to the IPCC 5th Assessment and the update of the SCAR Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment report), UK government departments and policymakers (e.g. through briefings on space weather to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and the Government Chief Scientist) and the satellite construction, operation and insurance industries. |
| Sectors | Aerospace/ Defence and Marine |
| Description | The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is the principal mode of Southern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation variability. It has a significant influence on Antarctic climate: previous work has described a strong relationship between the SAM and Antarctic surface temperatures such that a more positive SAM gives cooler temperatures over East Antarctica. Thus, the recent positive trend in the SAM, driven by both ozone depletion and increasing greenhouse gases, has been 'shielding' this region from 'global warming.' However, BAS scientists demonstrated that during the first decade of the twenty-first century the sign of the SAM-temperature relationship in East Antarctica reversed, and therefore the assumed paradigm of a consistent relationship between the two over time was shown to be incorrect. That such broad-scale reversals can take place on decadal timescales as part of natural climate variability reduces the level of certainty with which we can ascribe future projections of Antarctic climate and related predictions of sea level rise. Beneficiaries: Environmental scientists |
| Sector | Environment |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | Policy advice on space weather |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Impact | BAS scientists attended meetings of the UK-USA collaboration organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (28 Apr 2012, and 26 Jun 2012) and set up collaboration with the National Geophysical Data Center in Boulder Co., USA. They provided oral evidence at the House of Commons for the Defence Committee (2012), and gave a briefing to Ministers of the NATO Science and Technology Committee at the House of Commons (27 Nov 212). They also attended meetings on space weather with the Government Chief Scientist (17 Jan, 11 Jun, and 5 Dec 2012) and are a member of the Space Environment Impacts Expert Group, which provides advice to the Cabinet Office and the Government Office of Science. BAS work on severe space weather events was included in the Cabinet Office National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies (2012). BAS scientists also recommended UK involvement in the European Space Agency?s ?Space Situation Awareness? program, which was agreed to and announced by the Minister David Willetts in Nov 2012, and where the UK is now the second largest contributor with a ?7 million investment. Target audience(s): Government Department;Other |
| Description | Space weather - from science to policy |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Impact | At the request of the Cabinet Office and the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Mark Walpole, Professor Richard Horne provided written input to a Science Guidance Paper covering one of the high priority threats on the National Risk Register. The information provided covered space weather and its effects on satellites. The Science Guidance Paper will enable SAGE (the Science Advisory Group for Emergencies) to be able to respond quickly and effectively during a severe space weather event. Target audience(s): Government Department;Other |