Surface Climatology of the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS) Antarctica

[Map of AWS in RIS]

The University of Wisconsin - Madison Antarctic Automatic Weather Station project has been making meteorological surface observations on the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS) for approximately thirty years. This network offers the most continuous set of routine measurements of surface meteorological variables in this region. The Ross Island area is excluded from this study. The surface climate of the RIS is described using the AWS measurements. Temperature, pressure, and wind data are analyzed on daily, monthly, seasonal, and annual time periods for thirteen AWS across the RIS. The AWS are separated into three representative regions - central, coastal, and the area along the Transantarctic Mountains - in order to describe specific characteristics of sections of the RIS. The climatology describes general characteristics of the region and significant changes over time. The central AWS experience the coldest mean temperature, and the lowest resultant wind speed. These AWS also experience the coldest potential temperatures with a minimum of 209.3 K at Gill AWS. The AWS along the Transantarctic Mountains experience the warmest mean temperature, the highest mean sea level pressure, and the highest mean resultant wind speed. Finally, the coastal AWS experience the lowest mean pressure. Climate indices (MEI, SAM, and SAO) are compared to temperature and pressure data of four of the AWS with the longest observation periods, and significant correlation is found for most AWS in sea level pressure and temperature. This climatology study highlights characteristics that influence the climate of the RIS, and the challenges of maintaining a long-term Antarctic AWS network. Results from this effort are essential for the broader Antarctic meteorology community for future research.

3 RIS Regions:

  • Central: Gill, Lettau, Margaret, and Schwerdtfeger
  • Transantarctic: Elaine, Eric, Marilyn, Mary, Meeley, and Sabrina
  • Coastal: Martha II, Vito, and Nascent

    • [Temperature of RIS] [Pressure of RIS] [Wind of RIS]

    Regional Means

  • Central: -26.1 °C, 988.1 hPa, 4.1 m/s
  • Transantarctic: -23.1 °C, 990.1 hPa, 5.1 m/s
  • Coastal: -27.1 °C, 984.6 hPa, 4.4 m/s


    • Climatological Statistics

  • Marilyn Temperature +0.09 °C ± 0.06 annually

  • Schwerdtfeger Pressure -0.18 hPa ± 0.17 annually

  • Schwerdtfeger Wind Speed +0.02 m/s ± 0.02 annually


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