glaciology Archives - Astrobiology

Lake Joyce field area for study. (A) Location of Lake Joyce in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica (inset). (B) Bathymetric model of Lake Joyce as described in the text, along with compilation of drill hole sites, shorelines from aerial photographs and satellite images from the Polar Geospatial Center, and reconstructions of subglacial topography. Arrow marks the site of the drill hole where CTD cast in Figure 2 was conducted. Streams J1 to J5 follow nomenclature of Green, Angle, and Chave (Citation1988). Topographic contours from REMA are ellipsoidal height rather than orthometric height (Howat et al. Citation2022). -- Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research

Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine

Could Lake Joyce Have Acted As A Long-lived Proglacial Refugium In Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys?

by Keith CowingJuly 14, 2026July 14, 2026

[Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research] Lake Joyce of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), Antarctica, contains an endemic copepod population (Diacyclops joycei) that has not been identified from apparently suitable habitats […]

(A) Schematic of the ice growth apparatus. (B) Image of the ice growth apparatus shortly after the onset of an experiment. (C) The ~50-cm-thick Europa 2 ice column immediately after extraction. The column is placed upside down to reduce brine loss from the highly porous basal region of the ice. (D) Ice columns subsectioned into smaller, more easily workable pieces and scored at 2-cm intervals in preparation for vertical partitioning. (E) The scored subsections in (D) were cut using an electric band saw, and the 2-cm layers were placed into 500-ml high-density polyethylene amber Nalgene sample bottles. These samples were subsequently melted, filtered, and processed via IC, ICP-OES, and NDIR spectroscopy to acquire our ionic composition and ionic fractionation profiles. -- Science Advances via PubMed

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

As Above, Not So Below: Ion Fractionation In Planetary Analog Ices

by Keith CowingApril 25, 2026April 25, 2026

The geophysical evolution and astrobiological potential of ocean worlds are indelibly linked to the chemical compositions of their oceans and ice shells.

EPICA Base Camp - British Antarctic Survey

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Sample Return

Ice World Exploration: Historic Drilling Project Finds Ice Over 1.2 Million Years Old

by Keith CowingJanuary 10, 2025

The fourth Antarctic campaign of the Beyond EPICA-Oldest Ice project has achieved a historic milestone this week, by successfully drilling a 2800-metre-long ice core, consisting of ice from the Antarctic […]

Dimensions and close-ups of the boulder, highlighting where life is clearly visible -- Frontiers in Marine Science

Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

The First Recorded Hard Substrate Sessile Benthic Community Far Beneath an Antarctic Ice ShelfFrontiers in Marine Science

by Keith CowingJune 17, 2024June 17, 2024

The seafloor beneath floating ice shelves accounts roughly a third of the Antarctic’s 5 million km2 of continental shelf.

Windracers ULTRA UAV in front of ice cliffs at Rothera Research Station -- Windracers & British Antarctic Survey

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Cryobiology, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving

Ice World Exploration: Pilotless Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle Arrives In Antarctica

by Keith CowingFebruary 6, 2024February 6, 2024

A team have arrived at Rothera Research Station, ready to start testing the new Windracers ULTRA autonomous drone in Antarctica. If successful, the new drone platform could represent a major […]