Te Puna Patiotio Antarctic Research Centre
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Te Puna Patiotio Antarctic Research Centre Annual Review 2020 IMPROVING UNDERSTANDING OF ANTARCTIC CLIMATE AND ICE SHEET PROCESSES, AND THEIR IMPACT ON NEW ZEALAND AND THE EARTH SYSTEM CONTENTS Skelton Glacier, Antarctica - Photo: Shaun Eaves Impacts by Numbers 2 Director’s Summary 4 Research Outcomes 6 Science Drilling Office 19 Teaching & Supervision 20 Significant Events 22 Financial Summary 30 Antarctic Research Centre Annual Review 2020 Designed and edited by: Michelle Dow Our Engagement 34 Contributions from: Nancy Bertler, Ruzica Dadic, Warren Dickinson, Michelle Dow, Gavin Dunbar, Nick Golledge, Huw Horgan, Publications & Conferences 38 Liz Keller, Richard Levy, Darcy Mandeno, Rob McKay, Tim Naish, Jamey Stutz, Lauren Vargo, Oliver Wigmore, and Holly Winton. Our People 44 Cover Image: Peter Barrett, Skelton Neve, Antarctica, 1970/71 - Photo: John McPherson 2019 65 year 1 Prime Minister’s legacy New Zealander Science Prize of Emeritus Professor Peter Barrett Ruzica Dadic, joins the world’s celebrated during a awarded to the “Melting Ice largest international polar two day symposium. and Rising Seas” team led by research expedition, MOSAiC. the ARC. 10 8 200 $6.3 $800 $18 times modellers people million thousand thousand USD more likely to get extreme from three institutes working attended the 17th S.T. Lee in revenue obtained by ARC added to the ARC Endowed awarded to Rob McKay for the glacier melt with human- together to provide future Lecture in person and online. in 2020, 75% from externally Development Fund from the Asahiko Taira Scientific Ocean induced climate change. projections on Earth’s climate funded grants. PM Science Prize award and Drilling Research Prize. system. other donations. 1000 2 17 2 7 metres promotions November scholarships PhD theses of drill pipe ordered for in 2020. Introducing: the Antarctic Science Platform from Antarctica New Zealand submitted in 2020 by sub-ice shelf drilling for the Associate Professor Huw Horgan National Modelling Hub was awarded to ARC supervised ARC supervised students. next Antarctic field season. and Professor Nicholas Golledge. formally opened by students, Matthew Tankersley Hon David Parker. and Theo Calkin. 51 5 Nature 60 27 publications & PNAS interviews presentations in 2020 with ARC staff and publications by given by ARC staff given to politicians, student authorship. ARC staff in 2020. and students on stakeholders, schools and Antarctic and climate community groups by ARC related issues. staff and students. 2 ARC Annual Review 2020 3 TE PUNA PATIOTIO — ANTARCTIC RESEARCH CENTRE IS A CENTRE OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AT TE HERENGA WAKA — VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON DIRECTOR’S SUMMARY including working in an isolated bubble Antarctic Science Platform commitments. flows through to future seasons, highlights and resilience to future sea-level rise the risks relating to one-off, or even of a few people for numerous weeks, However, the season as a whole was not the importance of the diversification of resulting from ice sheet loss, while our multiple, unforeseen events. daily shifts in unforeseen work tasks; lost to us due to the outstanding support our research portfolio. Even without glaciology teams continue to monitor and having uncertainties over when this from Antarctica New Zealand who were Antarctic field work, we have maintained glacier loss in the Southern Alps. There was one other headline that in any would all finish. These were all scenarios successful in conducting a traverse across exceptional momentum through this normal year would dominate this yearly we experience during most Antarctic the Ross Ice Shelf, leaving crucial supplies difficult time period, with a record number Remarkably, we did manage to get one summary column, and that was the field seasons, and although it was still and equipment for the Hot Water Drill of research papers published, alongside a researcher to the polar regions during awarding of the Prime Minister’s Science a challenge for us, the resilience of our (HWD) and Antarctic Intermediate Depth record number of active external research the year. Ruzica Dadic was scheduled to Prize to the “Melting Ice and Rising Seas researchers to adapt to this new way Drill (AIDD) systems. This is a major contracts and staff numbers. The success travel to the Arctic in early April, where she Team”. This is an outstanding recognition of working was remarkable. Looking outcome that is critical to the success in New Zealand’s elimination strategy with was to stay on the German icebreaker RV of this team that was led by the ARC, in through 2020 and beyond, COVID-19 for our upcoming drilling seasons, and short, sharp lockdowns has allowed our Polarstern as part of the MOSAiC project, collaboration with other VUW researchers has reminded us of the importance of greatly reduces the risk of another lost research laboratories to stay open, and the world’s largest polar expedition ever. and our partners at GNS Science and our long-term strategy of developing season down the line. Antarctica New our researchers to interact in person, and This expedition sought to understand sea NIWA. This award further emphasises and maintaining a diverse, resilient and Zealand were also successful in collecting to attend and host national conferences. ice processes over an entire year, during the importance of our diverse research adaptable research programme. critical oceanographic and glaciological The shift in much of our research focus which the icebreaker was frozen into the portfolio, that has allowed us to achieve datasets, and we are hugely thankful for towards computer-based work and data sea ice. Her initial scheduled two month an incredibly high level of impact and Associate Professor Rob McKay The cancellation of the 2020/21 field their efforts. science over the last decade has paid shift on this expedition coincided directly relevance, not only to New Zealand but Director, Antarctic Research Centre season although disappointing was clearly real dividends in this current scenario, with border closures, and was delayed also the global community. Despite warranted. We were well prepared for If a field season had been scheduled, it with the opening of the Antarctic Science several months. This allowed Ruzica the circumstances, it was an incredibly this possibility from the beginning of the would have placed extreme pressures Platform National Modelling Hub in 2020 and the MOSAiC team time to develop successful year for us, but like everyone The major headline from 2020 is of year, and appreciated this quick decision on our building of the AIDD, due to the being a major milestone in the evolution rigorous quarantine and travel procedures, we are certainly looking forward to a more course COVID-19, and the challenges this by Antarctica New Zealand that allowed COVID-related slowdown in the global of our Centre. For other Antarctic-related although this extended her trip duration to normal world in 2021! has placed on all aspects of our lives. It us to focus on adapting our workflows. supply chain of drilling equipment and programmes, we have a backlog of almost four months. Ruzica’s involvement is difficult to believe that this time last While it is safe to say that planning for a consumables. The delayed field season legacy material that has been sampled in this programme is an outstanding year, we were only just starting to realise global pandemic was low on our list of provided our Science Drilling Office in previous decades, and although not a opportunity for her, but also helps place the potential consequences of this new risk planning prior to 2020, we work every several extra months to overcome these replacement for carefully planned new the ARC as a key player in this world- emergent virus. As countries started year to the assumption that numerous challenges, and work on getting this sampling campaigns, a year off from field leading sea ice research programme. the processes of border closures and external drivers could result in such an build completed in 2021. On this front, work has forced us to think creatively lockdowns, it was quickly apparent that event. In many ways, having half a year our engineers Darcy and Alex are well about maximising the usage of these In some ways, it could be viewed our our team at Te Puna Pātiotio — Antarctic to prepare for the loss of a season is less on schedule, with the drill rig arriving important legacy resources. resilience to COVID-19 has been a Research Centre would have to quickly of a shock than previous events we have in Wellington and currently undergoing function of fortunate timing. While the adapt to meet this challenge. Our team seen - such as the early break out of sea testing and integration with the HWD Similarly, we have several New Zealand timing certainly could have been even responded exceptionally to the changes ice that terminated the first season of system. based research programmes that highlight more disruptive than it was, this resilience in our work environment over the course Cape Roberts Project in 1997, only a few just how diverse our research portfolio is really down to the sustainable growth of the entire year. Curiously, one thing weeks into the project. These sorts of The loss of the Antarctic field season in has become, and the importance of our we have experienced over the past we all recognised during the Level 4 issues are part of the deal with working 2020/21, and the potential that some collaborative partnerships with GNS decade. This growth has allowed us to lockdown