Aspects of modern Antarctic meteorology and climatology

• Published in: Archives of Natural History
• Main Author: Turner, John
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Edinburgh University Press 2005
• Subjects: Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous); History; Anthropology; Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Southern Ocean; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/anh.2005.32.2.334

Great advances have been made in recent years in our understanding of the weather of the Antarctic and how the climate of the continent varies on a range of time-scales. The observations from the stations are still the most accurate meteorological measurements that we have, but satellites have been important in providing data for remote parts of the continent and the Southern Ocean. With the large amount of data that is available today weather forecasts are much more accurate than just a few years ago and can provide valuable guidance up to several days ahead over the Southern Ocean and Antarctic coastal region. However, predicting the weather for the interior of the Antarctic is still very difficult. Recent research has shown that the climate of the Antarctic is affected by tropical atmospheric and oceanic climate cycles, such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, but the links are complex. The picture of climate change across the Antarctic during the last 50 years is complex, with only the Antarctic Peninsula showing a significant warming. By the end of the twenty-first century near-surface air temperatures across much of the Antarctic continent are expected to increase by several degrees. A small increase in precipitation is also expected.