British Antarctic Survey

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the United Kingdom's national polar research institute. It works to study the polar regions to help us understand important global issues and represents the UK in the Antarctic. BAS is part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

With over 400 staff members, BAS plays an active role in Antarctic affairs. It operates five research stations, one ship, and five aircraft in both polar regions. The survey also works on key global and regional problems, partnering with more than 40 UK universities and over 120 national and international teams.

BAS began from activities during World War II and was originally called the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey until it was renamed in 1962.

History

Operation Tabarin was a small British expedition in 1943 to set up bases in the Antarctic. It was worked on by the Admiralty and the Colonial Office. After the war, it was renamed the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) and fully controlled by the Colonial Office. At that time, there were four stations, three of which were occupied and one not. By 1962, when FIDS became the British Antarctic Survey, 19 stations and three refuges had been set up.

In 2012, the group that oversees the British Antarctic Survey, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), suggested joining it with another research group, the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton. This idea was controversial, and after the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee said no, the plan was stopped. Since April 2018, NERC has been part of UK Research and Innovation.

Directors

In 1956, the FID Scientific Bureau and FIDS Rear Base were brought together into one FIDS London Office, with a Director leading all of London’s work for the first time.

  Denotes service as acting director

Research stations

Antarctica

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) runs five permanent research stations in the British Antarctic Territory. These stations are:

• Rothera Research Station on Adelaide Island
• Halley Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf
• Signy Research Station on Signy Island
• Fossil Bluff logistics facility on Alexander Island
• Sky Blu logistics facility in Ellsworth Land

Only Rothera is staffed all year round. Before 2017, Halley was also open year-round.

South Georgia

The BAS also runs two permanent bases on South Georgia:

• King Edward Point Research Station at King Edward Point
• Bird Island Research Station on Bird Island

Both of these bases are staffed all year round.

Other sites

The BAS headquarters are in the university city of Cambridge, on Madingley Road. This place has offices, laboratories, and workshops to help with science and logistics in Antarctica.

The BAS also runs the Ny-Ålesund Research Station for the NERC. This is an Arctic research base in Ny-Ålesund on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen.

Equipment

Ships

Main article: Royal Research Ship

As of 2021, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has one ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough, which helps with research in the Arctic and Antarctic. It replaced two older ships, RRS James Clark Ross and RRS Ernest Shackleton, sold in 2021 and 2019. Ships leave the United Kingdom in September or October each year and return the next May or June. During the Antarctic winter, they are repaired but can also be used elsewhere.

The BAS ships work together with a special ship from the Royal Navy that can go through ice. Until 2008, this was HMS Endurance, which had helicopters to reach far-off places. However, it was badly damaged and replaced in 2011 by HMS Protector, which first went to the Antarctic in November 2011.

Aircraft

BAS uses five airplanes to support its research in Antarctica. These planes are made by de Havilland Canada and include four Twin Otters and one Dash 7. During the Antarctic summer, the planes stay at the Rothera base. In the winter, they cannot fly and go back to Springbank, Alberta, Canada.

The larger Dash 7 flies regularly between Port Stanley Airport on the Falkland Islands or Punta Arenas in Chile, and Rothera. It also flies to and from the Sky Blu base. The smaller Twin Otters have skis to land on snow and ice in faraway places and fly from bases at Rothera, Fossil Bluff, Halley, and Sky Blu.

Findings

In 1985, the British Antarctic Survey discovered a big hole in the sky's protective layer over Antarctica. This important finding was made by three scientists from the survey. Their work was checked with pictures from space and caused concern around the world.

In 2008, scientists from the survey found evidence that a volcano had erupted under Antarctica's ice about 2,200 years ago. They used special flying machines with radar to see under the ice and found volcanic ash near Pine Island Glacier.

In 2020, the survey used satellite pictures to find that there were many more emperor penguin groups in Antarctica than people thought before—almost 20% more.

Polar image collection

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has an online collection of pictures showing their work at the poles. This includes photos of scientific research and the landscapes of Antarctica. The collection is managed by Pete Bucktrout, a photographer who has visited Antarctica many times during his 24 years with BAS. His photos have appeared in newspapers and on television worldwide.