The UK Government has published its UK Antarctic Strategy to 2035, setting out the aim to achieve net zero across Antarctic scientific operations by 2040 whilst maintaining Britain’s world-leading position in polar research.

The strategy, released by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, places climate science and environmental sustainability at the heart of UK activities in Antarctica. Through the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme, the UK will decarbonise Antarctic research stations by 2030, with full net zero operations by 2040.

The UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM) welcomes this comprehensive approach, which demonstrates how climate research and environmental stewardship can be integrated. CPOM’s work in polar observation and ice sheet modelling directly supports the strategy’s ambition to understand changes in Antarctica as an indicator of climate change whilst minimising the environmental footprint of research activities.

Britain commits to maintaining year-round research operations through the British Antarctic Survey, with continued investment in sustainable infrastructure at stations like Rothera. UK Antarctic science will continue to inform global climate policy and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s assessments, with British scientists making internationally recognised contributions to research on ice sheet stability, sea level change, and climate tipping points.

Environmental protection features prominently, with plans to expand marine protected areas, implement biosecurity protocols against invasive species, and designate vulnerable species for protection, including emperor penguins. The strategy also strengthens the Antarctic Treaty System and develops frameworks for managing growing tourism whilst preserving Antarctic heritage.

This commitment to net zero polar science aligns with initiatives such as the Net Zero Polar Science Doctoral Training Programme, which is currently recruiting its first cohort of researchers to advance sustainable practices in polar research.

In this Q&A, CPOM Professor Ali Banwell discusses why she was honoured to be featured in a STEM colouring book, and why representation matters so much in science careers.

What led you into your career as a polar scientist? Was there somebody or something that initially inspired you to pursue STEM?

My mum was a huge influence. She studied engineering at Cambridge when almost no women did (<1%), and later became a maths teacher, then software engineer. Her confidence in maths and physics – subjects not always ‘cool’ for girls – helped shape mine. I also grew up climbing and hiking in the UK mountains with my aunt, who sparked my curiosity about how glaciers once shaped those landscapes. Even though glaciology wasn’t taught at my school, by the time I reached university I knew I wanted to study Earth sciences, specialising in glaciology specifically.

Can you describe what you’re doing in the image that inspired the drawing in the book? What’s the science behind it (in a nutshell)?

I’m drilling a deep hole into a floating glacier (an ‘ice shelf’) to install a long aluminium pole. We mount geophysical instruments on these poles, such as high-precision GPS units, weather stations, and time-lapse cameras, to measure how the glacier ice moves and changes over time, particularly in response to climate change. The photo was taken on the McMurdo Ice Shelf, close to the U.S. Antarctic research station, McMurdo.

Can you tell us a little more about your research?

Broadly, my research focusses on investigating the impact of Earth’s past and future climate on the cryosphere – so all of Earth’s icy regions – with a current focus on the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, including their floating ice shelves.

Specifically, I specialise in integrating satellite Earth Observation techniques, including optical, microwave, and altimetry data, with field observations to investigate ice sheet and ice shelf surface melt and hydrology, and implications of these processes for ice dynamics. I also work closely with numerical modellers to integrate our new observations and process understanding of ice dynamics into models, ultimately to help provide better forecasts of future glacier ice loss and sea level rise.

I am fortunate to have been to Antarctica six times previously, and I’ve just arrived back there now. I’m at McMurdo, the U.S. station at the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf. Unfortunately, however, I’m a glaciologist who really hates being cold… But I do love penguins!

Where do you see the biggest uncertainties or knowledge gaps in our current understanding of polar ice dynamics, and what will it take to close them?

One of the biggest uncertainties in polar ice dynamics is how quickly ice sheets and ice shelves will respond as the climate continues to warm, including the potential ‘feedbacks’ and ‘tipping points’ that could accelerate change. To reduce these uncertainties, and better constrain future sea-level rise, we need sustained, high-quality Earth Observation records from new satellite missions, supported by targeted fieldwork and modelling. We also need to rethink how we do polar science so that it is more carbon-efficient, whether through using more computationally efficient AI-based models, lower-emission fieldwork logistics, or greater international coordination to minimise our environmental footprint. Closing these knowledge gaps will require long-term investment, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a commitment to monitoring and understanding the polar regions in more sustainable ways.

What is your role at CPOM?

I have joined CPOM as a PI in Land Ice/Ice Shelf Earth Observation, and more broadly as a Professor in Glaciology within Northumbria’s School of Geography and Natural Sciences. After 7.5 years in the U.S. at the University of Colorado Boulder, I’m excited to build new collaborations and expand my research horizons within CPOM and the wider UK glaciological and environmental science communities. Working closely with CPOM’s experts in Earth Observation and modelling, across both land ice and sea ice, will strengthen my research and open up new opportunities for interdisciplinary polar science.

What does being featured in a STEM colouring book mean to you, and what advice would you give to early career researchers considering a career in this field?

I was excited to be part of this because I think one of the most meaningful ways to encourage girls of all backgrounds to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) is by providing visible role models. In Antarctic field research in particular, female leadership is still rare, so it’s important for girls to see that women can and do lead world-class field science in these and other environments. Research shows that girls’ engagement in STEM subjects, and later women’s participation in STEM careers, often declines with age/career stage. I hope that being part of this book helps to spark that curiosity and confidence in the next generation!

You can find out more and purchase the book from the link below.

Image Credits: From STEM Super Stars: Women of Today Changing the World (KN Storycraft Press, 2025)

In early November 2025, CPOM Researcher Diego Moral Pombo (Lancaster University) collaborated with artist James Hooton to create “Still Waters Run Deep”, a beautiful light installation, that transformed Lancaster Castle, and brought the Earth’s ice sheets and glaciers to life, as part of the Light Up Lancaster festival 2025.

In this video we take you behind the scenes, from the initial inspiration to the technological innovation that went into translating polar science into an immersive experience using art, light and music. The case study features insights from Diego, James and CPOM Co-Director for Science, Professor Mal McMillan.

Mal explains more about the GLOBE project (Greenland Subglacial Lake Observatory) which uses high resolution satellite imaging and technology to detect, monitor and predict how hidden (subglacial) lakes interact with the ice sheet above. This project, funded via the European Research Council and UK Research and Innovation, formed some of the inspiration for Diego’s concept, alongside other research into ice dynamics at Lancaster University and CPOM.

Diego said when asked why using art to communicate science is important: “Ice loss from the polar regions may feel like something very far away and something that doesn’t really affect us, but it does have a very local impact and it will end up affecting all of us. Just getting more people interested in the science is obviously great and if we get to spark some vocations and motivation in the youngest ones seeing the piece (installation) that would be great.”

Also included in the video is a clip of the illustration by faith-to.design in action, and beautiful original music from Amber Hooton. We have also included a clip of the stunning final installation.

The installation was supported by Lancaster City Council’s climate change team, UKRI’s Arts and Humanities Council, the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and Lancaster University Impact Acceleration Account Programme. It was also part of Lancaster University’s ‘Campus in the City’ event 2025.

This week, scientists joined the UK National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC) to launch the ‘Glaciers and Ice Sheets in a Warming World: Impacts and Outcomes’ report, edited by Professor David J. Drewry, which shares crucial UK-led scientific research on ice loss from Earth’s glaciers.

Key Findings

The report presents critical statistics on global glacier decline including:

• Glaciers have lost 6,542 billion tonnes of ice since 2000, threatening the water supply of more than a billion people
• Ice loss has accelerated by 36% over the past ten years, with glacier melt now accounting for approximately one-third of global sea level rise
• Fifteen million people are at risk from glacier lake outburst floods, whilst up to two billion depend on water from glaciers for energy, water and food

The full report is available on the UK National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC) website.

Monitoring Glaciers from Space

Chapter three of the report, authored by CPOM Associate Investigator in Land Ice Earth Observation Noel Gourmelen (University of Edinburgh and Earthwave Ltd) with Livia Jakob (Earthwave Ltd), explores how satellite missions monitor glacier decline from space. Using data from missions including the European Space Agency’s CryoSat-2, their chapter incorporates key findings from the Glacier Mass Balance Intercomparison Exercise (GLAMBIE) Report released earlier this year, which confirmed that since 2000, glaciers have lost 6,542 billion tonnes of ice. Their study also showed that there has been a 36% increase in loss during the second half of the time period (2012-2023) in comparison to the first half of the record (2000-2011).

About CryoSat-2

Launched in 2010, CryoSat-2 transformed our ability to monitor glacier ice from space by offering improved spatial resolution and accuracy, almost-complete polar coverage, and increased measurement density.

What is GLAMBIE?

The GLAMBIE exercise is a collaborative community effort that reconciles 233 estimates from 35 international research teams of ice mass balance from glaciers across all 19 glacierised regions worldwide. By integrating altimetry, gravimetry and DEM (Digital Elevation Model) -based approaches, the GLAMBIE team produces comprehensive and robust estimates for ice loss, which can be used by policymakers and government agencies when planning for future climate scenarios, including IPCC assessments.

Why Monitoring Glaciers Matters

Tracking glacier changes is essential for several reasons:

• When glaciers melt, they contribute significantly to global sea levels, impacting millions of people worldwide
• Increased glacier melting can cause glacial lakes to collapse, resulting in devastating floods
• Many millions of people rely on glacier water for energy, water supplies, crops and livestock

Professor David J Drewry has written about the threats posed by melting glaciers on the UK UNESCO website: https://unesco.org.uk/news/glaciers-shrink-water-is-scarce-lives-are-at-risk

Looking Ahead

The CRISTAL mission, part of the Copernicus Space Programme and scheduled for launch in 2027, aims to continue CryoSat-2’s legacy. As Noel Gourmelen and Livia Jakob emphasize in the report, it is vital to secure future Earth Observation missions like CRISTAL to ensure ongoing and uninterrupted accurate monitoring of Earth’s ice. Such observations and modelling of future scenarios are essential to inform decision-making around glacier preservation and to support strategies for protecting people and infrastructure from the risks posed by melting ice.

The International Year of Glacier Preservation

This report is timely! The United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of Glacier Preservation to highlight the importance of glaciers and to ensure that populations who rely on them, as well as those affected by glacier changes, receive the hydrological, meteorological and climate services they need.

For more information, visit www.un-glaciers.org/en.

Image credit: Professor Andrew Shepherd

Recent news stories have focused on the slowdown in the decline of Arctic sea ice and some have interpreted these as ‘good news stories’, but what does the science really show?

As sea ice is a vital aspect of the delicate and complex Earth system, it’s vital we understand exactly what is happening with sea ice as global temperatures continue to rise.

Sea ice should not be confused with icebergs, which break away from glaciers as they reach the ocean.

Sea ice forms when sea water freezes, creating ice floes that float on the surface. Sea ice is found year-round in the Arctic and Southern oceans, where the air is cold enough to freeze salt water.

Unlike land-based ice, when sea ice melts it does not contribute to sea level rise in a significant way, but it still has an impact on the Earth’s systems.

Sea ice helps regulate the Earth’s temperature

Sea ice has a higher ‘albedo’ than the surrounding sea water. This means it is more reflective due to its lighter colour. It reflects solar radiation from the sun back into space helping to keep the planet cool and regulating global temperatures.

When sea ice melts, there is a larger proportion of darker sea surface with a ‘low albedo’, absorbing more of the sun’s heat. This creates a feedback loop which means the planet warms further.

This process creates a ‘positive feedback mechanism’. This refers to changes in a system which creates effects that make that change even stronger. As melted ice exposes more dark ocean water, which absorbs more heat from the sun than ice does, the extra heat causes even more ice to melt, which exposes more dark water, and so on. The process reinforces itself and speeds up.

Sea ice helps drive ocean circulation patterns

Ocean currents, which determine weather patterns around the world and help drive the Earth’s wider carbon cycle, are driven by differences in temperature and salinity of the water. This is referred to as thermohaline circulation.

A complex series of processes take place during the sea ice life cycle. Sea water contains salt, making it more dense than fresh water. When it freezes, the ice crystals can’t retain all the salt and so some is rejected into the water around it, making it denser. When sea ice melts, it releases freshwater into the ocean. These fluxes in salt and freshwater dictate the movement of water within the polar oceans and have implications for wider ocean circulation.

One circulation pattern which is sensitive to declining Arctic sea ice is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a system of ocean currents that includes the gulf stream. The gulf stream relies on cold salty water sinking in the North Atlantic to drives the flow of waters from the Azores up towards northern Europe.

As sea ice in the Arctic melts, the water in the northern Atlantic Sea is becoming increasingly diluted and therefore not as heavy. This change has the potential to divert or even collapse these currents and change the patterns of weather Europe and northern United States have become used to, such as milder winters and warmer summers.

Sea ice is a habitat for some of the Earth’s most beautiful species

Sea ice also provides a habitat for a range of species including polar bears, whales, krill and seals. As it melts, these species are increasingly under pressure.

Key indicators of sea ice health

Scientists monitor sea ice using:

• Extent: The surface area of the sea where the ice is at least 15% ice concentration.
• Thickness: The vertical depth of the ice
• Ice volume: The actual amount of ice in volume.

Observing changes in these indicators helps scientists gain a robust understanding of climate change.

How headlines can misrepresent the science

There have been some viral social media stories suggesting that sea ice hasn’t changed over the decades and that sea ice decline is a myth.

There have been other stories that focus on how sea ice in the Artic is not declining at the rate we would expect considering the Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet.

These could seem like good news stories.

What the science reveals

• CPOM data show average Arctic sea ice thickness in October has reduced by 0.6 centimetres per year since 2010 suggesting an overall decline in sea ice volume even if extent has not reduced.
• Arctic sea ice has declined in both extent and volume throughout the year, with the most significant losses occurring in late summer, according to ESA satellite data.
• In this article, NASA reported that in 2025 global sea ice coverage was at a record low. This is due to a rapid decline in Antarctic sea ice extent. There is more information about the current state of sea ice cover in this report from NASA.

Explaining a complex system in one sentence

The problem with headlines is that you can’t capture a complex situation in one sentence, and sea ice is a dynamic and expansive puzzle.

• Some headlines focus on sea ice extent, which is only one indicator of sea ice coverage, ignoring thickness and volume. Even if the extent of the sea ice remains the same from one year to the next, if it is only half as thick, then the total volume of ice has also halved. The Arctic is losing its thickest multi-year ice, with the ice pack becoming increasingly seasonal. This means that overall there is less sea ice, and therefore more freshwater in the ocean. 
• Decline in sea ice may appear to slow down due to ‘seasonal variability’, which are ‘short-term variations’ while the overarching long-term trend, monitored over many decades, may still be one of decline. Scientists use climate model simulations to help understand and predict the behaviour of sea ice. Models show that as Arctic sea ice declines over multiple decades, we can expect periods of no change or even growth, due to natural variability within the climate system.
• As Julienne Stroeve points out in this article, even though sea ice melts during the summer, new ice forms again in winter when temperatures drop. A growth that can obfuscate some of the ice lost in summer. As winters get shorter, there will be less time for the ice to grow, and it won’t grow as thick meaning this “buffer” replacing lost ice is reducing.

The bigger picture

When media outlets report on scientific studies relating to changes in the cryosphere, the focus might be on one element. The problem with this is it might paint a picture of the state of Earth’s ice that may not reveal the full story.

Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW), long-term warming of the Earth’s climate due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels, is undeniably taking place. The WMO recently declared 2024 as the hottest year on record, and you can see a graph showing global temperatures since 1860 to see how temperatures have, and are rising over centuries.

The Earth’s ice still sees natural cyclical changes caused by ocean currents, short-term weather patterns and atmospheric conditions. This means sea ice extent may recover in the winters, but the long-term trend due to warming remains true.

Over the last three decades sea ice in the Arctic has declined during the summer months and winter ice is newer and thinner. Despite seasonal ups and downs, the net loss of ice is accelerating.

These trends are worrying, but there are some positives we can focus on.

Although the challenge is great, the world is equipped to tackle that challenge.

Monitoring sea ice is rapidly improving, and scientists are getting increasingly better at understanding these huge and dynamic areas of ice. This means we can better project future outcomes and plan and mitigate for future changes.

The fact that sea ice still shows seasonal recovery during winters means there is still the opportunity to protect it through working towards net zero and limiting global warming.

With increasingly sophisticated satellite missions and models, multi-agency projects and powerful movements pressing for change, we can adapt and protect our changing planet.

Featured image credit: Amy Swiggs