Bentley, M. J., Ocofaigh, C., Anderson, J. B., Conway, H., Davies, B., Graham, A. G. C., Hillenbrand, C. D., Hodgson, D. A., Jamieson, S. S. R., Larter, R. D., Mackintosh, A., Smith, J. A., Verleyen, E., Ackert, R. P., Bart, P. J., Berg, S., Brunstein, D., Canals, M., Colhoun, E. A., Crosta, X., Dickens, W. A., Domack, E., Dowdeswell, J. A., Dunbar, R., Ehrmann, W., Evans, J., Favier, V., Fink, D., Fogwill, C. J., Glasser, N. F., Gohl, K., Golledge, N. R., Goodwin, I., Gore, D. B., Greenwood, S. L., Hall, B. L., Hall, K., Hedding, D. W., Hein, A. S., Hocking, E. P., Jakobsson, M., Johnson, J. S., Jomelli, V., Jones, R. S., Klages, J. P., Kristoffersen, Y., Kuhn, G., Leventer, A., Licht, K., Lilly, K., Lindow, J., Livingstone, S. J., Mass?, G., McGlone, M. S., McKay, R. M., Melles, M., Miura, H., Mulvaney, R., Nel, W., Nitsche, F. O., O'Brien, P. E., Post, A. L., Roberts, S. J., Saunders, K. M., Selkirk, P. M., Simms, A. R., Spiegel, C., Stolldorf, T. D., Sugden, D. E., van der Putten, N., van Ommen, T., Verfaillie, D., Vyverman, W., Wagner, B., White, D. A., Witus, A. E. Zwartz, D. (2014). A community-based geological reconstruction of Antarctic Ice Sheet deglaciation since the Last Glacial Maximum. Quaternary Science Reviews, 100, 1-9.A robust understanding of Antarctic Ice Sheet deglacial history since the Last Glacial Maximum is important in order to constrain ice sheet and glacial-isostatic adjustment models, and to explore the forcing mechanisms responsible for ice sheet retreat. Such understanding can be derived from a broad range of geological and glaciological datasets and recent decades have seen an upsurge in such data gathering around the continent and Sub-Antarctic islands. Here, we report a new synthesis of those datasets, based on an accompanying series of reviews of the geological data, organised by sector. We present a series of timeslice maps for 20 ka, 15 ka, 10 ka and 5 ka, including grounding line position and ice sheet thickness changes, along with a clear assessment of levels of confidence. The reconstruction shows that the Antarctic Ice sheet did not everywhere reach the continental shelf edge at its maximum, that initial retreat was asynchronous, and that the spatial pattern of deglaciation was highly variable, particularly on the inner shelf. The deglacial reconstruction is consistent with a moderate overall excess ice volume and with a relatively small Antarctic contribution to meltwater pulse la. We discuss key areas of uncertainty both around the continent and by time interval, and we highlight potential priorities for future work. The synthesis is intended to be a resource for the modelling and glacial geological community. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.publishersversionPeer reviewe

This paper is the maritime and sub Antarctic contribution to the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) Past Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics (PAIS) community Antarctic Ice Sheet reconstruction. The overarching aim for all sectors of Antarctica was to reconstruct the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) ice sheet extent and thickness, and map the subsequent deglaciation in a series of 5000 year time slices. However, our review of the literature found surprisingly few high quality chronological constraints on changing glacier extents on these timescales in the maritime and sub Antarctic sector. Therefore, in this paper we focus on an assessment of the terrestrial and offshore evidence for the LGM ice extent, establishing minimum ages for the onset of deglaciation, and separating evidence of deglaciation from LGM limits from those associated with later Holocene glacier fluctuations. Evidence included geomorphological descriptions of glacial landscapes, radiocarbon dated basal peat and lake sediment deposits, cosmogenic isotope ages of glacial features and molecular biological data. We propose a classification of the glacial history of the maritime and sub Antarctic islands based on this assembled evidence. These include: (Type I) islands which accumulated little or no LGM ice; (Type II) islands with a limited LGM ice extent but evidence of extensive earlier continental shelf glaciations; (Type III) seamounts and volcanoes unlikely to have accumulated significant LGM ice cover; (Type IV) islands on shallow shelves with both terrestrial and submarine evidence of LGM (and/or earlier) ice expansion; (Type V) Islands north of the Antarctic Polar Front with terrestrial evidence of LGM ice expansion; and (Type VI) islands with no data. Finally, we review the climatological and geomorphological settings that separate the glaciological history of the islands within this classification scheme

The famous R.E.M. song laments 'It's the end of the world as we know it, I had some time alone, I feel fine…'. Many South Africans would agree that COVID-19 signals the end of the world (or business) as we know it, and through the lockdown we have certainly had some time alone. But contrary to the lyrics, all may not be fine, especially for South Africa's scientific community.

No abstract

The formation of a pronival (protalus) rampart on sub-Antarctic Marion Island is investigated. Morphological attributes show debris at the angle of repose on the rampart's proximal slope and at a lower angle on the distal slope. Relative-age dating, based on the percentage moss cover and weathering rind thickness of the clastic component, indicates accumulation mainly on the proximal slope and rampart crest, implying upslope (retrogressive) accumulation. This contrasts with a previously published model for pronival ramparts, which proposes rampart growth by addition of material to the distal slope. Development of the Marion Island rampart is suggested to result from the control exerted by a relatively low-angled surface and a shrinking snowbed. A small debris step formed on the proximal slope appears to be a response to decreased snowfalls due to changing climate over the last c. 50 years. Growth rate of the rampart is considered to be variable during the Holocene in response to changes in climate and debris supply.

Downslope extension of pronival (protalus) ramparts has been proposed to occur at the foot of thickening snowbeds or firn fields. A suggested morphological characteristic of such landforms is that the distal slope is formed at repose (34-38°) by the accumulation of cohesionless cascading debris. However, data on rampart morphology and debris accumulation, in terms of locality of deposition, of an actively-forming pronival rampart at Grunehogna Peaks, Western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica demonstrates that, although rockfall debris accumulation indicates downslope (outward) rampart extension, this landform does not possess a distal slope at repose. In addition, observations from the austral summers of 2006/7 and 2008/9 suggest that the firn field size is stable. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the morphological characteristics and environmental conditions under which pronival ramparts develop according to the model of downslope extension may be more varied than originally thought. Moreover, this paper questions the use of the morphology of fossil features to infer rampart formation and highlights that caution should be used when using pronival ramparts in palaeo-environmental reconstructions.

Payouts push professors towards predatory journals If South Africa truly wants to encourage good research, it must stop paying academics by the paper, says David William Hedding. W hen my university announced the publications that qualified for South Africa's research-output bonuses for 2018, a colleague congratulated me for the payout I would receive, not for the quality of the science I had produced. This encounter made me realize, yet again, that something is very wrong with the research system in my country. Predatory journals accept papers (and collect publication fees) regardless of quality. A 2017 analysis of predatory journals in the database Scopus found that the share of publications in such journals by South African researchers was roughly five times those for the United States and Brazil, and two-and-a-half times that for China, which is frequently criticized for boosting publication numbers in inferior journals (see go.nature.com/2tecsqx). Why are South Africans relying so much on journals that do little or nothing to ensure quality? In an effort to boost academic productivity, the country's education department launched a subsidy scheme in 2005. It now awards roughly US$7,000 for each research paper published in an accredited journal. Depending on the institution, up to half of this amount is paid directly to faculty members. At least one South African got roughly $40,000 for research papers published in 2016-about 60% of a full professor's annual salary. There is no guarantee (or expectation) that a researcher will use this money for research purposes. Most simply see it as a financial reward over and above their salaries. South African publications listed in the Scopus database each year more than doubled in the decade after the payout programme began. But the number of publications by South African researchers in predatory journals jumped more than 140-fold in the same period (J. Mouton and A. Valentine S. Afr. J. Sci. 113, 2017-0010; 2017). Clearly, many researchers in South Africa are being forced to choose: cash or quality? The most obvious problem is inadequate accreditation of journals. South Africa's Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) typically extracts qualifying publications from journal databases such as the ISI Web of Knowledge, although it accredits some journals independently. The proliferation of predatory journals (plus the fact that many adopt titles similar or identical to those of credible outlets) means that some predatory journals creep onto the accredited list, even though the process has become more stringent. Many researchers, especially early-career ones, remain unaware of the pitfalls, and the DHET is inadvertently training them not to care-because such publications can win funds for them, their universities and their research. Another problem is how the funds are disbursed. Subsidies are split on the basis of the number of authors from each institution. This discourages collaboration with researchers from different institutions and countries. That could re...

Until recently, the Central Highland of sub-Antarctic Marion Island (above 750m a.s.1.) was covered by snow. Climatic amelioration is deemed responsible for the disappearance of the former permanent snowline which had a lower altitudinal limit of approximately 650m a.s.1. during the early-1950s. The recent sub-aerial exposure of this area now enables the geology and geomorphology to be documented. Mapping incorporated air-photo interpretation and field surveys using a hand-held Global Positioning System (GPS) to ensure spatial accuracy. Most grey lava outcrops above 750m a d . exhibit some evidence of previous glaciations whereas black lava flows show no evidence of the effects of glaciers and must, therefore, post-date the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Frost processes currently predominate in the Central Highland, but there is a conspicuous lack of periglacial landforms (i.e. patterned ground) in scoria and grey lava areas. With the exception of thermal contraction cracking at one location, no other evidence for the development of geomorphological landforms in black lava areas exists. Other geomorphological landforms include meltout features, a manifestation of landscape process responses to climatic amelioration, mass movement landforms and the emergence of rudimentary aeolian landforms. Receding snow cover may enhance frost and aeolian processes, which could result in an interesting myriad of geomorphological landforms.