Antarctic science operations must account for climate change and extreme environmental events.

Abstract

Extreme environmental events (EEEs) in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are occurring with growing frequency and severity, and will become more pronounced under continued global warming. Antarctic research relies on safely deploying personnel and equipment into remote locations. Preparing and undertaking science is, thus, dependent on conditions at sea and on ice. Here, we discuss impacts on scientific operations from EEEs and assess the vulnerability of research stations, the operability of airfields and non-prepared landing sites and reliability of vessel access. We show that each will face challenges to offering service levels that have been the hallmark of Antarctic scientific discovery. To mitigate, fieldwork must be supplemented where possible and appropriate by autonomous systems. As we build up to the 5th International Polar Year (2032-3), understanding how Antarctic research can flourish in the face of EEEs - including consideration of duration, magnitude, location and spatial gradient - will become a critical theme.