Antarctic Geoscience Project

Geoscience Australia leads Earth science activities as part of the Australian Antarctic Program. We provide geoscientific advice and information to support a range of scientific, operational and strategic objectives. The insights from our work support Australia’s national interests in Antarctica and commitments under the Antarctic Treaty System.

Our work spans the Australian Antarctic Territory and adjacent marine jurisdiction and sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island and Heard and McDonald Islands.

Our advice and data products support research into human impacts in ice-free areas, marine biodiversity, climate change and oceanography to inform sustainable management of terrestrial and marine environments and better understand the global role of Antarctica.

Geoscience Australia’s Antarctic observatories are part of broad networks that collect data about the Earth which supports disaster preparedness, community safety, and economic development across Australia and our region.

Some of our activities in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean include:

• seabed mapping to support mapping and charting and scientific research into oceanography, biodiversity and climate change
• Digital Earth Antarctica
• Observatories
  • GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) ground stations that enable accurate positioning
  • geomagnetic monitoring observatories to study the Earth’s magnetic field and support navigation and monitoring space weather
  • infrasound and seismic equipment as part of the monitoring infrastructure for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO)
  • seismic equipment for monitoring earthquake activity and supporting tsunami warning services.
• the study of rock formations and geological processes to understand human impacts in fragile ice-free areas
• sampling from both terrestrial and marine environments to support evidence-based environmental management.

Geoscience Australia works closely with valued partners like the Australian Antarctic Division. We are also a partner organisation in the Australian Research Council Special Research Initiatives Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF) and the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science (ACEAS) as well as the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership.