Antarctica & Us

Antarctica’s Role and Response to Our Changing Climate

Each winter, the single largest annual change on Earth occurs when the ocean surface surrounding Antarctica freezes over - effectively doubling the size of the continent. This annual process is pivotal to keeping our planet cool, providing habitats that underpin a thriving marine ecosystem, and driving global ocean churn.

In 2023, Antarctica's sea ice area reached an alarming low, surpassing the record low of 2022 and continuing a trend evident since 2016. What are the potential consequences of this for life in Antarctica and elsewhere?

Join marine physicist Dr Natalie Robinson to discuss Antarctica’s role in, and response to, our changing climate. Learn about Kiwi research trying to better understand this annual cycle of sea ice formation and decay and what future climate scenarios might hold. Natalie will describe her own research into this dynamic, and provide some personal stories accumulated over eight seasons on ice.

5.30pm, Wednesday 13 March
Barclay Theatre
Free