ABSTRACT East Antarctic ice cores are key to Australia’s Antarctic science objectives. Australia is internationally recognised for its climate contributions relating to impurities, greenhouse gases, and water stable isotope studies. These factors make the Australian ice core programme an effective case study to demonstrate the usefulness of bibliometric studies in understanding the broader impacts of scientific research. This work presents a bibliometric analysis of Australian-authored and/or funded ice core publications from within the Australian Antarctic Territory over the programme’s 50 years (1972–2022). This work also discusses the history and chronology of Australia’s ice core programme to contextualise the results of the bibliometric analysis. These are illustrated by examining the key drilling locations, such as Law Dome, and the resultant research which establishes Australia as a global leader in producing high-resolution ice core records from coastal East Antarctic sites. This article demonstrates the applicability of bibliometric studies to identify themes of research that are intended to inform international and domestic policies for the betterment of society.
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