Antarctic climate mission extended to 14 years

As New Zealand experienced severe southerly gales and flooding this morning, new funding was announced to continue climate change science in Antarctica.

Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, Dr Shane Reti, was in Christchurch to announce $49m in renewed Government investment to extend the Antarctic Science Platform's research for another seven years.

“What happens in Antarctica matters to us here in New Zealand,” Dr Reti said from New Zealand's Antarctic Gateway City.

“For example, as Antarctic ice melts, sea levels rise, which increases the risk of coastal erosion and flooding — threatening Kiwi homes and communities.”

First established through Budget 2017, the Platform's seven-year mission was to conduct excellent science to understand Antarctica’s impact on the global earth system and how this might change in a +2˚C (Paris agreement) world.

More than 100 scientists work together to advance important research like modelling ice sheets to better predict sea-level rise, helping New Zealand prepare for and respond to Earth's changing climate systems.

Dr Reti said this funding for a further seven years was the Government's largest investment in Antarctic research.

“What happens in Antarctica affects us all. This investment will help us better understand and prepare for climate change impacts, protect our communities, and support economic growth through stronger science and innovation."

Incoming Chair for the Platform, Dr Jenny Webster-Brown, said this would build on the legacy from the first phase and enabled this important science to continue.

"We are experiencing flooding and gale force winds around New Zealand this morning. These types of extreme weather events are expected to increase in intensity and irregularity and their effects will be exacerbated by rising sea levels. Antarctic Science Plaform research will help us prepare for this future," she said.

"It's not just an investment in science, it's an investment in the future of our planet and the wellbeing of generations to come."

The Platform is hosted by Antarctica New Zealand.

Chief Executive and Chief Scientific Advisor, Prof Jordy Hendrikx said the funding marked a significant milestone in our ongoing journey to understand and protect Antarctica.

"This will enhance our ability to conduct world-leading research, which in turn strengthens New Zealand's credibility on the international stage."

The Platform has four priorities:

• Understanding the stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet
• Understanding the impacts of change in the Antarctic atmosphere and Southern Ocean
• Understanding threats to ecosystem dynamics in the Ross Sea
• Understanding change in terrestrial and nearshore Antarctic environments, and the connections between them.

Over the next seven years, the Platform would seek to build on its previous work, with a strategic shift based on extensive consultation with Antarctic researchers and stakeholders, to understand:

• What are the critical signposts of catastrophic climate change and how can they be effectively observed to support timely mitigation?
• What are the drivers and potential implications of unprecedented change in the Ross Sea and Southern Ocean?
• What are the critical vulnerabilities of Antarctica’s ice sheets and glaciers, and what are the implications of likely increased melt?
  

Read the release from the Beehive: Advancing Antarctic research on climate change impacts | Beehive.govt.nz