SPRI's mission is to enhance the understanding of the polar regions through scholarly research and publication, educating new generations of polar researchers, caring for and making accessible its collections, and projecting the history and environmental significance of the polar regions to the wider community.
University of Cambridge buildings closure
18th March, 2020
In light of recent government announcements, and of recent developments including a growing number of staff members now working from home, the University of Cambridge has now moved into its "red" phase in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
As a result, the Scott Polar Research Institute closed its doors on Friday 20th March, for the foreseeable future. Find out what this means in a statement from University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stephen Toope.
Please check our social media platforms and this website for further updates and news on our re-opening.
New study reveals Antarctic ice shelf retreat
29th May, 2020
A new study led by researchers from Scott Polar Research Institute, with colleagues from Loughborough University and the Geological Survey of Norway, calculates that ice shelves surrounding the Antarctic coast retreated at speeds of up to 50m per day at the end of the last Ice Age - a rate roughly 10 times faster than observed by satellites today.
Using drones, satellites and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles during the Weddell Sea Expedition 2019, our researchers were able to study ice conditions in the Weddell Sea in unprecedented detail. "By examining landforms on the seafloor, we were able to make determinations about how the ice behaved in the past," said Director of the Scott Polar Research Institute Professor Julian Dowdeswell, who was chief scientist on the expedition. "We knew these features were there, but we've never been able to examine them in such great detail before."
SPRI PhD Candidate, Premdeep Gill, recently joined the Royal Greenwich Museum as a special guest on their online show, speaking to BBC presenter Helen Czerski on the theme of communication at a distance throughout history.
Prem discussed his use of satellites to track seals and how he uses "seal grime" to connect with a wider audience, and encourage young people from diverse backgrounds to consider polar science and conservation.
The episode is available to watch online and featured on BBC online as part of their "culture in quarantine" programming.
New paper on subarctic treelines
12th May, 2020
A new paper, whose co-authors include Dr Gareth Rees, Dr Olga Tutubalina & Zuzana Swirad of the Scott Polar Research Institute, is now available as open access.
The paper, 'Is subarctic forest advance able to keep pace with climate change?' demonstrates that the still widespread assumption that treelines are moving northwards into the arctic tundra at a rate determined by climate change is wrong. The authors discuss that they are moving much more slowly than thought, and climate-change models must consequently be adapted accordingly.
SPRI Review 2019 is now available online. SPRI Review is the Annual Report issued by the Scott Polar Research Institute, giving information on the Institute's activities over the past year.
Our 2020 Centenary Campaign aims to build the endowment funds of the Institute to support new academic posts, to enhance our ability to undertake polar fieldwork, to secure the future of our Museum and Archive activities, and to train the next generation of polar researchers.
There are no seminars scheduled at present, but you can view the archive of previous seminars.
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Scott Polar Research Institute
