Plenary Events

Description: Antarctica’s response to human-caused climate warming will have widespread implications for how, and how soon, climate change impacts are felt around the world. Yet many aspects of Antarctic change remain poorly constrained: The recent IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) included an upward revision of sea level rise estimates due to greater contribution from the Antarctic ice sheet than previously expected; dramatic sea ice loss in recent years has challenged our understanding of the timescales, trends and processes of Antarctic sea ice change; and the influence of meltwater and highly resolved ocean circulation may have consequences that are currently unresolved in global climate projections. One aspect where observed and modelled trends in Antarctic climate do agree is over the recent positive trends in the Southern Annular Mode, which in turn have had implications for long-term drying of mid-latitude Southern Hemisphere landmasses. However current palaeoclimate simulations do not agree with reconstructions of large pre-industrial variability in the SAM. New climate simulations with extreme magnitudes of solar forcing suggest that unresolved impacts of solar variability in the high southern latitudes could explain some of these palaeoclimate data-model disparities. Continued discoveries of Antarctica’s role in, and responses to, climate variability and change will improve our preparedness for future climate impacts.

Biography: Nerilie Abram is a Professor of Climate Science at the Australian National University. She is a chief investigator for Australia’s Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, and for the newly funded Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science. She was a coordinating lead author for the recent IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. Her research achievements have seen her awarded the 2015 Dorothy Hill Medal from the Australian Academy of Science and the 2019 Priestly Medal from the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society.

Description: The unimaginable can, as we are learning, become very real, very quickly. The COVID-19 pandemic touched all of us in our work and personal lives and forced a re-examination of our values, our priorities and our ways of life.  It prompted governments, institutions and businesses to respond quickly and, in most cases, decisively.  COVID-19 has spread throughout the globe. To date, however, while Antarctica remains free of the virus, the pandemic has significant repercussions for all forms of human engagement with the Antarctic. It poses unprecedented challenges for Antarctic governance institutions, National Antarctic Programmes, the fishing industry, tourism operators and other stakeholders.  To understand the pandemic’s complex and far-reaching implications for Antarctic research and governance, the multiple and interconnected types of engagement with the continent need to be disentangled.

Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has given the Antarctic community pause to consider how to manage risks and impacts in a  constantly changing situation.  This is crucial if Antarctica is to continue to provide vital answers to questions about the fate of our planet. As national Antarctic programs begin to make decisions and implement plans for the upcoming Antarctic season, these plans, by necessity, include restrictions and provisions to reduce risk to expeditioners. With many international borders closed, disrupting travel, this session will explore what the impacts of COVID-19 might be for carrying out research in and around Antarctica over the coming years. It will also explore how we can address challenges such as maintaining long term data series and supporting researchers at an early stage in their careers, and look at the role of international cooperation in helping face these challenges and opening up opportunities for researchers.

Panelists