Abstract: The evolution of total ozone and surface UV radiation over some stations in the southern region of South America and in Antarctica in relationship with polar vortex occurrences is analyzed using Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer total ozone measurements and local surface UV data for the 1997–2003 period. The data are classified as a function of the position of the stations with respect to the polar vortex using equivalent latitude at 550 K isentropic level. The study of vortex occurrences showed that Ushuaia station (54.9°S) was located ?40% of the cases in the edge of the vortex and 5% inside the vortex core during the winter-spring period. Concerning the Marambio (62.2°S) and Dumont d'Urville (66.4°S) stations, located on the shore of the Antarctic continent, the analysis shows a zonal asymmetry with respect to the center of the vortex. Marambio is located around 60% of the time inside the vortex, while Dumont d'Urville is predominantly at the edge of or outside the vortex. The evolution of the equivalent latitude of the stations in the anomalous 2002 winter presents a different behavior with respect to other years in the 1997–2003 period. The persistence of the vortex core above the stations is in average 1.8 days over Ushuaia and 7.1 days over Marambio in October during the 1997–2003 period with corresponding mean total ozone columns of 208.2 and 181.4 Dobson units, respectively. When the stations are inside the vortex, the total ozone columns are generally larger at Ushuaia than at Marambio in October during the 1997–2003 period. Finally, the impact of ozone-depleted air mass occurrences on ultraviolet radiation is evaluated by relating total ozone and UV erythemal dose measured at the stations. Twofold or threefold UV dose increases were reached in the 55°–65° southern latitude region during vortex overpasses, reaching maximum UV dose around 5 kJ/m2. The average increase of UV dose could be computed at the stations considered in the study when the measurement sampling and the number of vortex occurrences was sufficient. An average increase of 67.6% of the erythemal UV dose was found in October at Ushuaia over the years 1997, 1998, and 2000. This value is strongly weighted by vortex occurrences over the station in 2000. At Marambio an average UV increase of 47.4% was found over the years 1999 and 2000. Midlatitude stations like Comodoro Rivadavia (45.8°S) are generally little affected by vortex intrusions. Nevertheless, the maximum UV dose can increase by more than 50% when the vortex passes over the station.

Abstract: The circulation of iron-rich shelf waters around the Kerguelen Islands plays a crucial role for a climatically important, annually recurrent phytoplankton spring bloom over the sluggish shelf region and its downstream plume area along the Antarctic circumpolar flow. However, there is a long-standing confusion about the Polar Front (PF) in the Kerguelen region due to diverse suggestions in the literature for its geographical location with an extreme difference over 10° of latitude. Based on abundant historical hydrographic data, the in situ hydrographic and current measurements during the 2011 KEOPS2 cruise, satellite chlorophyll images, and altimetry-derived surface velocity fields, we determine and validate an up-to-date location of the PF around the Kerguelen Islands. Artificial Lagrangian particle trajectories computed from altimetric velocity time series are analyzed for the possible pathways and sources of different surface/subsurface waters advected into the chlorophyll bloom area east off the islands studied during the KEOPS2 cruise. The PF location determined as the northernmost boundary of the Winter Water colder than 2°C, which is also associated with a band of strong currents, appears to be primarily controlled by topography. The PF rounds the Kerguelen Islands from the south to deflect northward along the eastern escarpment up to the northeastern corner of the Kerguelen Plateau before making its southward retroflection. It is shown that the major surface/subsurface waters found within the deep basin east of the Kerguelen Islands originate from the shelf around the Heard Island, rather than from the shallow shelf north of the Kerguelen Islands.

Abstract: During November 2003, a 1-week test campaign of ULF geomagnetic field measurements was conducted at the new Italian/French base of Concordia (Dome C, Antarctic plateau), close to the geomagnetic pole, at a corrected geomagnetic latitude of ?89°S. An analysis of these measurements is presented, together with a comparison with simultaneous measurements conducted at the Italian “Mario Zucchelli” base, at Terra Nova Bay, also located in the polar cap, but at lower latitude (?80°S). The variable solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field conditions made it possible to monitor the Pc 3–4 ULF pulsation activity under different magnetospheric conditions. For quiet conditions, the pulsation power does not show evidence for a diurnal modulation at Dome C, while at Terra Nova Bay it maximizes around local magnetic noon. This result can be interpreted in terms of the different latitude of the two stations which might be linked to different magnetospheric regions: Dome C deep in the polar cap, and Terra Nova Bay approaching the cusp around noon. Conversely, during a strong geomagnetic storm, the wave activity at the two stations becomes very similar, and major ground manifestations are driven by strong solar wind pressure pulses. The clear dependence of the pulsation frequency with the interplanetary magnetic field strength suggests that upstream waves can be the source of pulsations not only at Terra Nova Bay but also at Dome C, in the deep polar cap. We also find a clear relationship between the pulsation power and the solar wind speed which is more pronounced at Dome C, where cusp-related phenomena are not present.

Abstract: This paper investigates the abundance and distribution of Pleuragramma antarcticum larvae by size class in the Dumont dUrville Sea from 2004 to 2010. Samples were collected between Dumont dUrville station and the Mertz Glacier Tongue onboard the RV lAstrolabe for studying the inter-annual and spatial distribution of fish larvae and the TRV Umitaka Maru for looking at life stages vertical distributions. The seabed depression adjacent to the Mertz Glacier Tongue and in Commonwealth Bay hosted high abundances of small P. antarcticum larvae, while larger larvae were found in lower abundance and further offshore. We found that canyons, sea ice, stability of the water column and temperatures are important features for determining suitable areas for young larvae.

Abstract: Seabirds have been widely used to monitor marine debris by the analysis of plastic ingestion. With the aim of obtaining the first data on ingestion of plastics by different seabird species in the Bay of Biscay and evaluating their suitability as biomonitors of plastic pollution in this area, a total of 159 seabirds of fifteen species were analyzed. Plastics were found in 26 birds (16% of the individuals) of nine species (60% of the species). Frequency of occurrence of plastics varied between 0% (Razorbill) and 100% (species of the family Procellariidae). Considering several criteria to assess their suitability as biomonitors of plastic pollution (frequency of occurrence of plastic ingestion, species abundances and stranding occurrence in the Bay of Biscay), the Common Guillemot and the Atlantic Puffin seem the most promising candidates. This study provides the first data on plastic ingestion in seabirds of the Bay of Biscay.