Glaciological research. Group of scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) working on the sea ice next to the Royal Research Ship James Clark

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Glaciological research. Group of scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) working on the sea ice next to the Royal Research Ship James Clark Ross. 90% of the world's ice is located in the Antarctic and only of the continent is free of ice. Sea ice (frozen sea water) is only a few metres thick but it insulates the sea and reduces heat transfer between ocean and atmosphere, keeping the air cold and dry. The extent of sea ice is critical to the climate of the Southern Ocean. Scientists measure the thickness and composition of sea ice and install tracking devices to map its progress through the Southern Ocean.

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Photo credit: © DAVID VAUGHAN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: antarctic, bas, boat, british, clark, environment, environmental, glaciologist, glaciologists, glaciology, ice, james, lift, research, ross, royal, rrs, scientist, scientists, ship, survey