Keith Makinson
@keithmakinson.bsky.social
Polar Oceanographer and Subglacial Access Drilling Engineer at British Antarctic Survey @bas.ac.uk
Ice Shelves | Ocean | Tides | Ice Streams | Subglacial Lakes | Hot Water Drilling | Ice Drilling | Running |
Ice Shelves | Ocean | Tides | Ice Streams | Subglacial Lakes | Hot Water Drilling | Ice Drilling | Running |
Pinned
Keith Makinson
@keithmakinson.bsky.social
· Nov 26
This is oceanography the hard way.
Before any instruments or samplers are deployed, we hot water drill an access hole through several hundred metres of ice shelf. Don't dilly-dally though, freezing closes the hole in a day or two.
Before any instruments or samplers are deployed, we hot water drill an access hole through several hundred metres of ice shelf. Don't dilly-dally though, freezing closes the hole in a day or two.
Reposted by Keith Makinson
We've never seen anyone so enthusiastic to crush ice – but a team of scientists are studying the cracking of ice, and they’re pretty hyped! ❄️
@newscientist.com spoke to members of the RIFT-TIP project, who are investigating how ice shelf fractures grow.
Watch the video here: tinyurl.com/526tn8zz
@newscientist.com spoke to members of the RIFT-TIP project, who are investigating how ice shelf fractures grow.
Watch the video here: tinyurl.com/526tn8zz
August 20, 2025 at 4:38 PM
We've never seen anyone so enthusiastic to crush ice – but a team of scientists are studying the cracking of ice, and they’re pretty hyped! ❄️
@newscientist.com spoke to members of the RIFT-TIP project, who are investigating how ice shelf fractures grow.
Watch the video here: tinyurl.com/526tn8zz
@newscientist.com spoke to members of the RIFT-TIP project, who are investigating how ice shelf fractures grow.
Watch the video here: tinyurl.com/526tn8zz
Reposted by Keith Makinson
We've had a Very Important Ice delivery!
These precious ancient ice core samples from Antarctica are expected to reveal a climate record stretching back more than 1.5 million years 🤯
That's further than we've ever looked back before.
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These precious ancient ice core samples from Antarctica are expected to reveal a climate record stretching back more than 1.5 million years 🤯
That's further than we've ever looked back before.
🧵 1/4
July 18, 2025 at 10:34 AM
We've had a Very Important Ice delivery!
These precious ancient ice core samples from Antarctica are expected to reveal a climate record stretching back more than 1.5 million years 🤯
That's further than we've ever looked back before.
🧵 1/4
These precious ancient ice core samples from Antarctica are expected to reveal a climate record stretching back more than 1.5 million years 🤯
That's further than we've ever looked back before.
🧵 1/4
Reposted by Keith Makinson
"It is impossible to overstate how critical this region is to our shared future." - @tobyperkinsmp.bsky.social, Chair
Read our report on the UK and the Antarctic environment: publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cm...
Read our report on the UK and the Antarctic environment: publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cm...
June 9, 2025 at 11:21 AM
"It is impossible to overstate how critical this region is to our shared future." - @tobyperkinsmp.bsky.social, Chair
Read our report on the UK and the Antarctic environment: publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cm...
Read our report on the UK and the Antarctic environment: publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cm...
Reposted by Keith Makinson
This is almost unbelievable. It's now May and there is still virtually no new sea ice forming in the Bellingshausen Sea (lower left region in image).
Image showing sea ice concentration derived from AMSR satellite data is by Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, Germany.
Image showing sea ice concentration derived from AMSR satellite data is by Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, Germany.
May 2, 2025 at 10:22 PM
This is almost unbelievable. It's now May and there is still virtually no new sea ice forming in the Bellingshausen Sea (lower left region in image).
Image showing sea ice concentration derived from AMSR satellite data is by Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, Germany.
Image showing sea ice concentration derived from AMSR satellite data is by Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, Germany.
Reposted by Keith Makinson
The Penguin Book of penguins - An Expert's Guide to the World's Most Beloved Bird
by Peter Fretwell and Lisa Fretwell
www.penguin.co.uk/books/464310...
@ptfretwell.bsky.social
@bas.ac.uk
#PenguinBooks #VikingBooksUK
by Peter Fretwell and Lisa Fretwell
www.penguin.co.uk/books/464310...
@ptfretwell.bsky.social
@bas.ac.uk
#PenguinBooks #VikingBooksUK
The Penguin Book of Penguins
A charming and beautifully illustrated book about the world’s most beloved bird, written by a leading Scientist at The British Antarctic Survey, illustrated by his wife.
There’s something about pengu...
www.penguin.co.uk
April 25, 2025 at 10:37 PM
The Penguin Book of penguins - An Expert's Guide to the World's Most Beloved Bird
by Peter Fretwell and Lisa Fretwell
www.penguin.co.uk/books/464310...
@ptfretwell.bsky.social
@bas.ac.uk
#PenguinBooks #VikingBooksUK
by Peter Fretwell and Lisa Fretwell
www.penguin.co.uk/books/464310...
@ptfretwell.bsky.social
@bas.ac.uk
#PenguinBooks #VikingBooksUK
Reposted by Keith Makinson
Update on Thwaites Glacier Eastern Ice Shelf from Copernicus Sentinel-1 SAR. Downloadable version here: aluckman4.wixsite.com/ade-s-world-...
March 31, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Update on Thwaites Glacier Eastern Ice Shelf from Copernicus Sentinel-1 SAR. Downloadable version here: aluckman4.wixsite.com/ade-s-world-...
Reposted by Keith Makinson
Year-end scramble getting you down? ⏳
Applications for lots of our Antarctic #jobs are closing in the next week. They include vehicles manager at Halley, and Radio Operator and IT Engineer at Rothera Research Station.
These are jobs unlike any other, in one of the most beautiful places on Earth ⬇️
Applications for lots of our Antarctic #jobs are closing in the next week. They include vehicles manager at Halley, and Radio Operator and IT Engineer at Rothera Research Station.
These are jobs unlike any other, in one of the most beautiful places on Earth ⬇️
March 25, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Year-end scramble getting you down? ⏳
Applications for lots of our Antarctic #jobs are closing in the next week. They include vehicles manager at Halley, and Radio Operator and IT Engineer at Rothera Research Station.
These are jobs unlike any other, in one of the most beautiful places on Earth ⬇️
Applications for lots of our Antarctic #jobs are closing in the next week. They include vehicles manager at Halley, and Radio Operator and IT Engineer at Rothera Research Station.
These are jobs unlike any other, in one of the most beautiful places on Earth ⬇️
Reposted by Keith Makinson
Iceberg A23a pictured from the ISS. The space station is almost as far south as it can reach here (51.5° S, 49.0° W - altitude of 422km). Picture taken on 14 March, so the berg had been grounded at South Georgia for a fortnight by this time.
March 24, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Iceberg A23a pictured from the ISS. The space station is almost as far south as it can reach here (51.5° S, 49.0° W - altitude of 422km). Picture taken on 14 March, so the berg had been grounded at South Georgia for a fortnight by this time.
Reposted by Keith Makinson
Scientists made a stunning discovery beneath an Antarctic ice shelf—thriving life in a world once thought uninhabitable.The breakthrough offers new insights into deep-sea ecosystems and the resilience of life in extreme environments.
indianexpress.com/ar...
indianexpress.com/ar...
Why scientists were surprised to find life under Antarctic ice shelf
The mission was part of Challenger 150, a UNESCO-endorsed global initiative for deep-sea research. The discoveries were announced on Thursday. The findings provide new insights into how ecosystems function beneath floating sections of the Antarctic ice.
indianexpress.com
March 22, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Scientists made a stunning discovery beneath an Antarctic ice shelf—thriving life in a world once thought uninhabitable.The breakthrough offers new insights into deep-sea ecosystems and the resilience of life in extreme environments.
indianexpress.com/ar...
indianexpress.com/ar...
Reposted by Keith Makinson
1.2 million years - have you heard of ice this old?! 🧊
These ice cores were retrieved as part of the Beyond EPICA - Oldest Ice project, which aims to unlock crucial insights into Earth's past climate and atmospheric conditions
#ice #climate
Read the full story 👇
www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/a...
These ice cores were retrieved as part of the Beyond EPICA - Oldest Ice project, which aims to unlock crucial insights into Earth's past climate and atmospheric conditions
#ice #climate
Read the full story 👇
www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/a...
March 19, 2025 at 3:17 PM
1.2 million years - have you heard of ice this old?! 🧊
These ice cores were retrieved as part of the Beyond EPICA - Oldest Ice project, which aims to unlock crucial insights into Earth's past climate and atmospheric conditions
#ice #climate
Read the full story 👇
www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/a...
These ice cores were retrieved as part of the Beyond EPICA - Oldest Ice project, which aims to unlock crucial insights into Earth's past climate and atmospheric conditions
#ice #climate
Read the full story 👇
www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/a...
Reposted by Keith Makinson
As polar night ends and sunlight begins to return to Longyearbyen, lets see how the Svalbard seasons progressed last year - from ice-locked fjords in March, through to the first snows of October. Thanks to NASA MODIS via GIBS. Download at full resolution here: aluckman4.wixsite.com/ade-s-world-...
March 17, 2025 at 2:53 PM
As polar night ends and sunlight begins to return to Longyearbyen, lets see how the Svalbard seasons progressed last year - from ice-locked fjords in March, through to the first snows of October. Thanks to NASA MODIS via GIBS. Download at full resolution here: aluckman4.wixsite.com/ade-s-world-...
Reposted by Keith Makinson
Reposted by Keith Makinson
The last Twin Otter aircraft has just left Rothera which marks the end of the field season, and gives us a chance to look back at the support we have provided over the year. We started with fieldwork and air unit maps!
🧵 1/5
🧵 1/5
March 7, 2025 at 3:34 PM
The last Twin Otter aircraft has just left Rothera which marks the end of the field season, and gives us a chance to look back at the support we have provided over the year. We started with fieldwork and air unit maps!
🧵 1/5
🧵 1/5
Reposted by Keith Makinson
The world's largest iceberg, A23a, appears to have grounded close to South Georgia. We've been monitoring and mapping this berg for many years now and we're watching closely to see what it might do next! These maps show its route since 1986 and the latest position to the SW of South Georgia ❄️🐧
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March 4, 2025 at 1:53 PM
The world's largest iceberg, A23a, appears to have grounded close to South Georgia. We've been monitoring and mapping this berg for many years now and we're watching closely to see what it might do next! These maps show its route since 1986 and the latest position to the SW of South Georgia ❄️🐧
1/3
1/3
Reposted by Keith Makinson
Hot off the press - the latest edition of the BAS Long Read! 🔥📰
Get ready to hear from three Antarctic scientists - Dr Emma Pearce, Dr Liz Thomas, and Dr Dieter Tetzner - about their work drilling for ice cores in Antarctica
Grab a coffee, and settle down for a read 👇
www.bas.ac.uk/blogpost/the...
Get ready to hear from three Antarctic scientists - Dr Emma Pearce, Dr Liz Thomas, and Dr Dieter Tetzner - about their work drilling for ice cores in Antarctica
Grab a coffee, and settle down for a read 👇
www.bas.ac.uk/blogpost/the...
February 28, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Hot off the press - the latest edition of the BAS Long Read! 🔥📰
Get ready to hear from three Antarctic scientists - Dr Emma Pearce, Dr Liz Thomas, and Dr Dieter Tetzner - about their work drilling for ice cores in Antarctica
Grab a coffee, and settle down for a read 👇
www.bas.ac.uk/blogpost/the...
Get ready to hear from three Antarctic scientists - Dr Emma Pearce, Dr Liz Thomas, and Dr Dieter Tetzner - about their work drilling for ice cores in Antarctica
Grab a coffee, and settle down for a read 👇
www.bas.ac.uk/blogpost/the...
Reposted by Keith Makinson
Here's the @aria-research.bsky.social page about the Forecasting Tipping Points programme. It's well worth a proper read!
🌍 www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-...
Here’s the BAS news story about GRAIL - and three other projects involving BAS researchers:
❄️ tinyurl.com/kzhhha6w
3/3
🌍 www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-...
Here’s the BAS news story about GRAIL - and three other projects involving BAS researchers:
❄️ tinyurl.com/kzhhha6w
3/3
Scientists secure funding to study Greenland and North Atlantic climate tipping points - British Antarctic Survey
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) researchers have been selected for funding from The Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) to help improve our understanding of climate tipping points. These tippin...
tinyurl.com
February 17, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Here's the @aria-research.bsky.social page about the Forecasting Tipping Points programme. It's well worth a proper read!
🌍 www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-...
Here’s the BAS news story about GRAIL - and three other projects involving BAS researchers:
❄️ tinyurl.com/kzhhha6w
3/3
🌍 www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-...
Here’s the BAS news story about GRAIL - and three other projects involving BAS researchers:
❄️ tinyurl.com/kzhhha6w
3/3
Reposted by Keith Makinson
A new paper about the Antarctic Ice Sheet in a special issue of @science.org reviews critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of how Antarctica responds to variations in global climate.
Antarctica in 2025: Drivers of deep uncertainty in projected ice loss
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Antarctica in 2025: Drivers of deep uncertainty in projected ice loss
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
February 11, 2025 at 12:37 AM
A new paper about the Antarctic Ice Sheet in a special issue of @science.org reviews critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of how Antarctica responds to variations in global climate.
Antarctica in 2025: Drivers of deep uncertainty in projected ice loss
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Antarctica in 2025: Drivers of deep uncertainty in projected ice loss
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Keith Makinson
Find out why this is the perfect place for an automatic monitoring station to measure ocean temperature, salinity and currents. It's crucial research about potential sea-level rise: are warming waters melting the ice shelf that holds back the glaciers?
▶️ aapp.shorthandstories.com/fishing-for-...
▶️ aapp.shorthandstories.com/fishing-for-...
Fishing for a glacier's secrets
A story of audacious science on an Antarctic ice shelf
aapp.shorthandstories.com
February 7, 2025 at 5:03 AM
Find out why this is the perfect place for an automatic monitoring station to measure ocean temperature, salinity and currents. It's crucial research about potential sea-level rise: are warming waters melting the ice shelf that holds back the glaciers?
▶️ aapp.shorthandstories.com/fishing-for-...
▶️ aapp.shorthandstories.com/fishing-for-...
Reposted by Keith Makinson
A new iceberg, ~30x14 km in size, recently calved from the southern end of the George VI Ice Shelf. It's called A84 and is already making quite an impact, bumping into the Stange Ice Shelf over the weekend! These Copernicus Sentinel-1 images from Polar View show the new berg over the last few days.
February 4, 2025 at 3:07 PM
A new iceberg, ~30x14 km in size, recently calved from the southern end of the George VI Ice Shelf. It's called A84 and is already making quite an impact, bumping into the Stange Ice Shelf over the weekend! These Copernicus Sentinel-1 images from Polar View show the new berg over the last few days.
Reposted by Keith Makinson
Beautiful Sentinel-2 imagery of George VI Ice Shelf with lots of meltwater from yesterday. The patterns that this water produces is like artwork! Fossil Bluff is shown in the second image, and Hodgson Lake shown in the last - a former subglacial lake sealed under ice thick perennial ice ❄️
January 30, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Beautiful Sentinel-2 imagery of George VI Ice Shelf with lots of meltwater from yesterday. The patterns that this water produces is like artwork! Fossil Bluff is shown in the second image, and Hodgson Lake shown in the last - a former subglacial lake sealed under ice thick perennial ice ❄️
Reposted by Keith Makinson
🔥New paper alert! 🔥🧪❄️🥼
Ever wondered what to consider when drilling through an ice sheet into rock? We take you through how we chose a drill site in West #Antarctica using field observations, samples, radar survey, modelling & satellite imagery.
tc.copernicus.org/articles/19/... @bas.ac.uk
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Ever wondered what to consider when drilling through an ice sheet into rock? We take you through how we chose a drill site in West #Antarctica using field observations, samples, radar survey, modelling & satellite imagery.
tc.copernicus.org/articles/19/... @bas.ac.uk
🧵1/n
Assessing the suitability of sites near Pine Island Glacier for subglacial bedrock drilling aimed at detecting Holocene retreat–readvance
Abstract. Unambiguous identification of past episodes of ice sheet thinning below the modern surface and grounding line retreat inboard of present requires recovery and exposure dating of subglacial b...
tc.copernicus.org
January 30, 2025 at 5:13 PM
🔥New paper alert! 🔥🧪❄️🥼
Ever wondered what to consider when drilling through an ice sheet into rock? We take you through how we chose a drill site in West #Antarctica using field observations, samples, radar survey, modelling & satellite imagery.
tc.copernicus.org/articles/19/... @bas.ac.uk
🧵1/n
Ever wondered what to consider when drilling through an ice sheet into rock? We take you through how we chose a drill site in West #Antarctica using field observations, samples, radar survey, modelling & satellite imagery.
tc.copernicus.org/articles/19/... @bas.ac.uk
🧵1/n
Reposted by Keith Makinson
Important paper in Nature today about collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. There is a positive isotope anomaly at Skytrain Ice Rise during the last interglacial, consistent with what we found in our high-resolution water-isotope simulations when WAIS collapses.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The Ronne Ice Shelf survived the last interglacial - Nature
Sea salt data from an ice core record show that Antarctica’s Ronne Ice Shelf survived the last interglacial, the last period of enhanced and sustained global warmth about 125,000 years ago.
www.nature.com
January 29, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Important paper in Nature today about collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. There is a positive isotope anomaly at Skytrain Ice Rise during the last interglacial, consistent with what we found in our high-resolution water-isotope simulations when WAIS collapses.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Keith Makinson
The Southern Ocean is a critical part of our planet, exerting profound influences over global climate and ecosystems.
Great to see some of the leading-order priorities for its research elucidated by Earle, @carlosmoffat.com et al.! 🌊🧪🥼❄️
Great to see some of the leading-order priorities for its research elucidated by Earle, @carlosmoffat.com et al.! 🌊🧪🥼❄️
January 25, 2025 at 7:18 PM
The Southern Ocean is a critical part of our planet, exerting profound influences over global climate and ecosystems.
Great to see some of the leading-order priorities for its research elucidated by Earle, @carlosmoffat.com et al.! 🌊🧪🥼❄️
Great to see some of the leading-order priorities for its research elucidated by Earle, @carlosmoffat.com et al.! 🌊🧪🥼❄️
Reposted by Keith Makinson
Satellites have transformed our understanding of Earths polar regions, and it's wonderful to see the work of The IMBIE Team recognised by @esa.int as a groundbreaking discovery !
tinyurl.com/mtut9dc6
tinyurl.com/mtut9dc6
January 25, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Satellites have transformed our understanding of Earths polar regions, and it's wonderful to see the work of The IMBIE Team recognised by @esa.int as a groundbreaking discovery !
tinyurl.com/mtut9dc6
tinyurl.com/mtut9dc6