The Antarctic Peninsula continues to be one of the regions of the Earth most strongly affected by global warming. Along its west coast, temperatures are rising significantly faster than the global average. Measurement data show an increase of up to 0.45 degrees Celsius per decade; overall, the region has warmed by more than three degrees since the 1950s, with particularly pronounced changes during the winter months.
The consequences are visible: a large proportion of the glaciers are retreating, and an estimated 13.5 gigatons of ice are lost each year. One cause of the accelerated warming is an increased transport of heat from subtropical regions, triggered by changes in atmospheric circulation patterns. These promote the decline of sea ice, more frequent heatwaves, and extreme weather events, which are increasingly associated with so-called atmospheric rivers.
Against this background, a new study to reconstruct the climate development of the Antarctic Peninsula was launched in 2024. Because measurement stations at high elevations are rare, the research relies on chemical analyses of ice cores, which allow conclusions to be drawn about past circulation patterns, sea-ice conditions, and oceanic processes.
How current these questions are was demonstrated by the first field campaign in January 2025. During work on the Laclavère Plateau, the research team was hit by extreme weather conditions: hurricane-force winds, massive snowdrifts, and poor visibility made the work considerably more difficult. Later analyses attributed the event to a strong atmospheric river that directed warm and moist air masses toward the peninsula.
Climate models suggest that such extreme events will occur more frequently in the future. The experiences of the expedition make it clear how urgently a better understanding of large-scale atmospheric processes is needed, both for the safety of research and for assessing global climate dynamics.
Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal