Meteorological measurements from the Fourcade and Polar Club Glacier, Warszawa Icefield, King George Island, West Antarctica ...

• Main Authors: Falk, Ulrike, Sala, Hernán
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2015
• Subjects: Impact of climate induced glacier melt on marine coastal systems, Antarctica IMCOAST/IMCONet; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Shelves; Isla 25 de Mayo; King George Island; South Shetland Islands; West Antarctica
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.848706; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.848706

The South Shetland Islands are located at the northern tip of the AP which is among the fastest warming regions on Earth. The islands are especially vulnerable to climate change due to their exposure to transient low-pressure systems and their maritime climate. Surface air temperature increases (2.5K in 50 years) are concurrent with retreating glacier fronts, an increase in melt areas, ice surface lowering and rapid break-up and disintegration of ice shelves. We have compiled a unique meteorological data set for the King George Island (KGI)/Isla 25 de Mayo, the largest of the South Shetland Islands. It comprises high-temporal resolution and spatially distributed observations of surface air temperature, wind directions and wind velocities, as well as glacier ice temperatures in profile with a fully equipped automatic weather station on the Warszawa Icefield, from November 2010 and ongoing. In combination with two long-term synoptic datasets (40 and 10 years, respectively) and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, we ... : In November 2010, we have installed an Automatic Weather Station (AWS) and an Eddy Covariance Station (ECS) at S 62° 14' 09.8'', W 58° 36' 48.7'' at 230m a.s.l. on the approximate divide of Fourcade and Polar Club glaciers, which are both part of Warszawa Icefield. The AWS is equipped with two heights wind anemometers and vanes (Alpine Wind Monitor), and air temperature and relative humidity sensors (HMP155A), five depths of snow and ice temperature measurements (107 Thermistor Probes) installed at depths of 10m, 5m, 1m, two snow temperature installed at the end of the summer. The AWS includes an NR01, a four-component radiation sensor for up- and down-welling long- and shortwave radiation fluxes, two narrow field infrared temperature sensors IR120 facing northwest and southeast at an angle of 40° to measure surface temperatures, and a SR50A Sonic Ranging Sensor installed at an initial height of 2m to measure surface elevation changes. For data acquisition and storage, a CR3000 Micrologger with extended ...