Meteorological observations at Syowa Station, Antarctica, 2009 by the 50th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

• Main Authors: Juhei Sugaya, Hikaru Doi, Hiroshi Tatsumi, Satoshi Ito, Tomohide Komori
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: National Institute of Polar Research 2014
• Subjects: Geography (General); G1-922; Antarctic; Syowa Station; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.15094/00010278; https://doaj.org/article/626cc3df451745fd8a1f71a539cc143c

This report describes the results of meteorological observations carried out by the Meteorological Observation Team of the 50th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-50) at Syowa Station from February 2009 to January 2010. The observation methods, instruments, and statistical methods used by JARE-50 were similar to those used by JARE-49. The most notable results are as follows. 1) Class-A blizzards, the heaviest storm class, were recorded 13 times. This frequency is the same as in 1978, which was the highest on record. A total of 29 blizzards (of various classes) occurred in 2009, which is close to normal. 2) The maximum sustained wind speed of 47.4 m/s was recorded on 21 February 2009. 3) Tropospheric temperatures for May-July over Syowa Station were higher than normal, but temperatures in the lower stratosphere for August-October were lower than normal. 4) Total ozone over Syowa Station was less than 220 m atm-cm between the middle of August and the end of October. The minimum value in 2009 was 135 m atm-cm. Total ozone increased rapidly in November 2009 when the ozone-hole area decreased around Syowa Station.