Sub-Antarctic ice core drilling

The sub-Antarctic islands are uniquely located to capture changes in the globally significant circumpolar westerly winds and the Antarctic circumpolar current, key to the mixing and ventilation of the world's deep oceans. The glaciers on a number of these islands contain an inimitable record of past climate, atmospheric circulation, westerly winds and pollution from this data sparse region. Here we present the stable water isotope and geochemical data from seven new shallow (10-20 m) ice cores, collected as part of the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (ACE), capturing climate variability from the sub-Antarctic region over the past 30 years. The records include the first ever records from Bouvet Island (the most remote island in the world), Peter 1^st Island and the Balleny Islands.