Permafrost and periglacial research in Antarctica: New results and perspectives

In the last two years the research within the Antarctic Permafrost, Periglacial Environments and Soils (ANTPAS) Expert Group of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and Working Group of the International Permafrost Association (IPA) provided new results on the dynamics of periglacial environments both in Maritime and Continental Antarctica. In continental Antarctica despite the absence of air warming, in the last 15 years an active layer thickening and acceleration of permafrost degradation erosional phenomena were reported, these being mainly related to the increase of solar radiation. On the other hand, in Maritime Antarctica, with a dramatic air warming, permafrost degradation has been observed, but the role of snow cover on the ground energy balance and consequently on permafrost and active layer has been underlined. Moreover, many contributions on the knowledge on the characteristics of the Antarctic soils were carried out in several areas along a wide latitudinal range.