CHARLES R. STEARNS, ROBERT E. HOLMES, and GEORGE A. WEIDNER, Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
The National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs places automatic weather station (AWS) units in remote areas in Antarctica in support of meteorological research, applications, and operations ( see figure). The basic AWS units measure air temperature, wind speed, and wind direction at a nominal height of 3 meters above the surface. Air pressure is measured at the height of the electronics enclosure. Some units measure relative humidity at 3 meters above the surface and the air temperature difference between 3 meters and 0.5 meters above the surface at the time of installation. The data are collected by the ARGOS Data Collection System onboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration series of polar-orbiting satellites.
The table gives the AWS unit's site name, ARGOS identification number, latitude, longitude, elevation above sea level, site start date, and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) number for the Global Telecommunications System for AWS units in operation in 1997. The AWS units are grouped together based on the geographical area and are usually related to a single meteorological experiment. Holmes, Weidner, and Stearns (1995) and Holmes, Weidner, and Stearns (1997) describe the AWS activities during the two previous field seasons.
The AWS units are located in arrays for meteorological experiments and at other sites for operational purposes. Any one AWS may contribute to several experiments and all contribute to operational purposes, especially for preparing weather forecasts for aircraft flights to and from New Zealand and within Antarctica.
Some of the areas supported are the following:
The AWS data are available via anonymous ftp on the Internet by contacting ftp uwaaws.ssec.wisc.edu . At "user" type "anonymous"; at "password," type your electronic mail address then "cd pub"—this puts you in the public directory where several "readme" files will guide you to what you want. The first file to read is readme.faq . If you have problems then e-mail chucks@ssec.wisc.edu or front242@uwamrc.ssec.wisc.edu requesting help. Additional meteorological data are on
The automatic weather station data are also available at 3-hour intervals on floppy disks starting in 1980. The yearly data books prior to 1994 contain 3-hourly data and monthly summaries. Starting in 1995, the yearly data book does not have the 3-hourly data.
The 1996-1997 antarctic field season began with Tony Amos traveling aboard the Polar Duke to repair the AWS units on Bonaparte Point and Santa Claus Island. At Bonaparte Island, Tony Amos replaced the AWS electronics, batteries, and boom. The electronic box connectors to the boom and junction box were replaced with connectors that are supposed to be capable of withstanding corrosion by salt water. The connections between the junction box and the batteries and solar panel were wired directly and the openings were plugged up with modeling clay. The water temperature sensor was installed in the sea water at Bonaparte Point. At Santa Claus Island, the replacements were similar to those at Bonaparte Point. At Racer Rock, the AWS unit is operating intermittently, but the equipment was not available to make the necessary repairs.
The parts removed from the two sites were returned to the University of Wisconsin in March 1997. The condition of the boom and other parts such as the antenna indicates that several changes need to be made to make sure the AWS units withstand the corrosion of sea water. All sensors returned were not repairable.
The field season activities based out of McMurdo Station, Antarctica, began 21 December 1996 when R.E. Holmes left Madison, Wisconsin, for McMurdo Station, arriving on 26 December 1996.
On 2 January 1997, a Twin Otter flight was made to Elaine AWS site. The site was raised by one 0.9-meter (m) tower section and the lower delta-T sensor was raised to a height of 1.0 m. AWS 8900 was replaced with AWS 8915.
On 17 January, R.E. Holmes left McMurdo Station for Siple Dome field camp via LC-130. On 18 January, Byrd AWS site was visited by Twin Otter. The unit began operating after disconnecting and reconnecting power. The unit was raised by one 1.5-m tower section. The solar panels and power junction box were also replaced. Also on 18 January, a new AWS site was installed in West Antarctica via Twin Otter at a site named "Swithinbank" after Charles Swithinbank of the British Antarctic Survey because he was very helpful to C.R. Stearns at the beginning of the weather station program. AWS 21356 was installed.
On 20 January, a Twin Otter flight was made to J.C. AWS site. The aircraft was unable to land because of fog at J.C. site and continued on to Doug AWS site. AWS 21359 was removed and replaced with AWS 8922.
On 21 January, a new AWS site near the Siple Dome field camp was installed. AWS 8900 was installed approximately 3 kilometers to the true east of the field camp. Also on this day, the crew of the Twin Otter visited J.C. AWS site on their way to South Pole and replaced the R.M. Young wind sensor and installed two boxes of three gel-cell batteries.
The Coast Guard icebreaker crew under the direction of Lt. John Talbert replaced the wind system at Manuela site despite the -50°C wind chill. The crew installed a dog house AWS unit, ID 8983, on Scott Island and were able to remove the electronics, thermometer, and antenna from the old unit. This is the first time we have recovered components from a dog house AWS unit that has stopped operating. We now have the triangle of Young Island, Possession Island, and Scott Island operational again.
Members of Institut Française pour la Recherche et la Technologic Polaires removed the AWS units at D-10, D-47, D-57, and D-80 for repair and returned them to Madison, Wisconsin. The units are expected to be installed in December 1997 on a traverse to Dome C. AWS 8914 was shipped to Dumont D'Urville for installation at D-10 when the sea ice between Dumont d'Urville and the Adélie Coast is strong enough to permit travel between the two points.
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) visited the Larsen Ice Shelf site. The tower was raised 0.9 m, two deadman and guys were installed, and the wind vane and prop were replaced. The site is 29 kilometers from the ice edge. Next season, the battery cables will need to be extended, and the tower will need to be raised again. At Butler Island site the tower was raised 0.9 m, and the wind vane was replaced. Next season, the tower will need raising again, and another deadman and rope will be needed along with battery extension cables for two battery boxes. At Uranus Glacier one 0.9-m tower section was added and new deadman and guys were installed.
WMO numbers have been assigned to Siple Dome AWS and Limbert AWS sites, and the data are entering the Global Telecommunications System (GTS).
Tony Amos did an excellent job of taking care of the AWS sites at Bonaparte Point and Santa Claus Island for LTER. We received assistance from Naval Support Force Antarctica (NSFA) Meteorology, and the crews of the Twin Otter aircraft, LC-130s, NSFA helicopters, the U.S. Coast Guard Polar Star , and U.S. Coast Guard helicopters. The British Antarctic Survey (Antarctic Peninsula), Programma Nazionle di Ricerche in Antartide (Terra Nova Bay), Institut Français pour la Recherche et la Technologie Polaires (Adélie Coast to Dome C), and the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (Dome Fuji, Relay Station) supported the AWS program in other areas of Antarctica. The AWS program is supported by the National Science Foundation grant OPP 94-19128.
Holmes, R.E., G.A. Weidner, and C.R. Stearns. 1995. Antarctic automatic weather stations: Austral summer 1994-1995. Antarctic Journal of the U.S. , 30(5), 327-329.
Holmes, R.E., G.A. Weidner, and C.R. Stearns. 1997. Antarctic automatic weather stations: 1995-1996. Antarctic Journal of the U.S., 32(5)