Part 1 of 2. Jeremy Fyke discusses his ongoing computer modeling work on the Greenland Ice Sheet. A coupled ice sheet and climate model is used to simulate the ice sheet's response to climate under various atmospheric carbon dioxide scenarios. The results highlight the importance of feedbacks in the ice sheet system: ice albedo and elevation have been essential in maintaining the ice sheet throughout the Holocene. However, anthropogenic CO2 emissions are already disturbing the ice sheet's tenuous equilibrium.

Matt Ryan discusses his MSc study of a terrestrial palynomorph record from a marine sediment core retrieved off the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. In this area, the pollen and spores of land plants are quickly and continuously delivered offshore via short, steep rivers and adjacent submarine canyons. By harnessing multiple climate proxy records, Matt was able to assess the relative timing of local paleovegetation succession and sea surface temperature change, as well as the fluctuations of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. A comparison to contemporaneous pollen and sea surface temperature records from off South Canterbury reveals which side of the South Island responds quicker to climate change. The results help to explain the mysterious present day 'beech-gap' across central Westland, and have extended the existing paleovegetation record for this region by 60,000 years.

Joe Prebble recently returned to the ARC to undertake a PhD in Palynology. Initial work has involved collating extensive regional datasets of modern oceanographic conditions and dinoflagellate (motile marine phytoplankton) assemblages for the New Zealand region. Through transfer functions, Joe will be able to use the modern setting to make quantitative estimates of sea surface temperature and ocean productivity during the Pleistocene warm interglacial, Marine Isotope Stage 11. Palynological records (tree pollen, spores and dinoflagellate cysts) from marine sediment cores retrieved off eastern New Zealand may reveal latitudinal shifts of the Subtropical Front as well as any leads or lags that might exist between local marine and terrestrial climate during the Quaternary.

This is a short update podcast to promote the new Journeys to the Ice blog post, The Snows of Ruapehu. Tom Paulin's postgraduate research on the shifting mass balance of the Whangaehu Glacier has contributed to the understanding of how New Zealand's permanent ice responds to climate variability and change. Also, Simon Winchester's new book, Atlantic had its Wellington launch at Unity Books on Friday September 10. Like many of his highly successful publications to date, the book reveals Winchester's penchant for history and the Earth sciences.

Dhiresh Hansaraj spent two field seasons on the ice, conducting seismic reflection surveys for the ANDRILL McMurdo Ice Shelf (MIS) project. Initial multichannel seismic profiling helped define the optimal location for drilling, then post-drilling downhole surveying further refined the tie between regional seismic reflectors and lithological boundaries observable in the retrieved core. Dhiresh's experience fortified an interest in seismic data processing and interpretation, and he now co-runs his own Wellington-based company, Black Mountain Seismic.

Martin Schiller reflects on the findings of his Masters research on the dating of McMurdo Dry Valley soil surfaces using the atmospheric radionuclide, 10Be. While this proposed dating method was unsuccessful in returning absolute ages for these ancient soils, the presence of 10Be at depth in a paleosol, buried beneath a 3.9 million year old volcanic ash, adds to the growing body of evidence that points to significant Late Cenozoic climate variability in this part of Antarctica.

Sean Weaver of Carbon Partnership Ltd wraps up the ANZICE podcast series. The results that the ANZICE team produces invariably require a degree of translation in order to be understandable and relevant to policy makers and the voting public. While the IPCC now provides a solid framework for this task at an international level, consensus over these issues is made difficult by political lobbying from sectors of society who seek to maintain the status quo. Investment in distant sustainable futures is a challenging prospect, but applied science programs like ANZICE can help by showing us where we can make lasting positive change.

Andrew Mackintosh discusses modeling work currently being carried out under the research umbrella of ANZICE. These elegant computer models, based on rigorous empirical studies, have both reconstructive and predictive power, and are being used to great success in modeling the volume changes of polar ice shelves and temperate glaciers in New Zealand's Southern Alps.

Gavin Dunbar talks about his team's ongoing paleoclimate studies, which are mainly focussed on the New Zealand region. New Zealand has a key global position, being one of the only landmasses that lie in the southern mid-latitudes. Terrigenous sediment eroded off New Zealand comes to rest in deep-sea sedimentary basins, which provide a comprehensive archive of environmental change in this corner of the world.

Nancy Bertler explains how studies of high-resolution ice cores contribute to the broader understanding of the Antarctic climate system. Why are there marked spatial variations in Antarctic warming? Why are ice shelves integral to the stability of the continental ice sheets? Antarctica is obviously a major driver of climate in the Southern Ocean/New Zealand region, but is also affecting coastlines world-wide through its significant contribution to global sea-level rise. Antarctic Climate Drivers is the first of three research streams in the ANZICE program.

Lionel Carter introduces the ANZICE program at the Antarctic Research Centre. This collaborative effort aims to reconstruct how the New Zealand region has responded to episodes of extreme warmth in the past. In doing so, ANZICE will be well-placed to advise policy makers on how to manage the likely effects of future climate change.

Rob McKay discusses his recent research cruise onboard the JOIDES Resolution. By dodging icebergs off the Wilkes Land coast this science team was able to drill and retrieve valuable sedimentary histories that will begin to show how the marine margin of East Antarctica behaved during episodes of past warmth. The findings will also help hone current predictions about Antarctica's response to a warmer world of the future.

In mid-2007 I was asked to produce a short educational film, aimed at primary school students, summarising the sort of scientific field work that the Antarctic Research Centre is involved with. The film follows several groups of scientists and students during a typical summer field season, taking a look at Scott Base, the compulsory field training programme, the various modes of Antarctic transport, the local wildlife and the historic huts of Ross Island.

Julia Bull explains how the chemistry of the Evans Piedmont Glacier snowpack reflects observed changes in the climate of the Victoria Land coast. Her results have helped verify the relationship between elemental chemistry and local wind patterns, and point to forcing of the Ross Sea region's climate by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation.

Richard Levy discusses the children's holiday programme coordinated by GNS Science in early January. Inspired by the presence of the IODP vessel, JOIDES Resolution, the programme focussed on paleoclimate science and introduced young students to microfossils, drill engineering, ice sheets, sea level change and much more.