50 Years Of Climatology At The South Pole

By Paul Homewood

 

 

 

 

Back in 2012, a paper was published, analysing 54 years of climate data from the Amundsen-Scott Research Station at the South Pole.

 

Fifty-year Amundsen–Scott South Pole station surface climatology

 

Lazzara et al

 

ABSTRACT

Fifty-four years of Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station meteorological data have been analyzed to develop a comprehensive climatology from the station’s meteorological observations. In reaching the goal of a full climatological analysis, a meteorological station history was required and a full quality control review of the data was conducted. Analysis of the general fifty-year climate is presented for temperature, pressure, wind speed and wind direction along with averages (means), extremes and records, daily ranges, trends and discontinuities. Additional investigations include how often the temperature reaches − 100 °F and changes in the flying season as seen via acceptable temperatures. The analysis found slight decreases in the temperature and pressure over the 1957–2010 time period that are not statistically significant. The wind speed, however, does show a significant downward trend of 0.28 m s^{− 1} decade^{− 1} over the same period. The seasonal time series of temperature and pressure illustrate how longer term oscillations are superimposed on shorter-term fluctuations. The seasonal mean wind speed over the 54 year period shows a consistent pattern of decreasing speed for all seasons. In contrast to the mean wind speeds, the maximum wind speeds are increasing for the summer and transition seasons, and the increases are statistically significant. Finally, for the period 1983–2010, the average annual snow accumulation is decreasing at a statistically significant downward rate of − 2.9 mm year.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169809512002256

 

 Two interesting points emerge.

 

1) The decrease, albeit slight, decrease in temperature.

The authors have paid particular attention to potential discrepancies in the original data, especially the averaging of maximum and minimum temperatures to get the mean. While this is an accepted procedure for lower latitudes, it is felt inappropriate for polar regions, where the diurnal cycles are generally absent.

Consequently, they have calculated means from with the full number of daily observations.

This is the result they ended up with.

 

 Annual mean temperatures for 1957–2010 (blue), 10 year running mean (black), and least squares linear regression line

 

 

2) The decreasing trend for snowfall.

Although the period, 1983-2010, is quite a short one, and this is just one location, decreasing snowfall could have an impact on the balance of ice mass across Antarctica.

 

 

 Annual snow accumulation (1983–2010) from South Pole snow stake field (blue) and least squares linear regression line