Zur raumzeitlichen Differenzierung der Energiebilanz und des Zustandes der Schneedecke auf zwei Gletschern der Marguerite Bay, Antarktische Halbinsel - Aspekte des Klimas und des Klimawandels am Rande der Antarktis

• Main Author: Schneider, Christoph
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: German
• Published: 1998
• Subjects: Antarctic Peninsula; Marguerite Bay; Glacier mass balance; Glacier energy balance; Radar remote sensing; European Radar Satelite (ERS) 1; Climate; Snow cover; Adelaide Island; Alexander Island; Antarctic; Bellingshausen Sea; Marguerite; McClary Glacier; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica; Antarktis*; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/4017781; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4017781

English Abstract The Antarctic Peninsula is a region of special interest with respect to the regional impact of global climate change. With its large extent from north to south the mountain ridge constitutes the sole obstacle for the circumpolar west wind zone of the southern hemisphere. Teleconnections between lower latitude atmospheric circulation and the atmospheric circulation of Antarctica directly influence the circulation within the west wind zone and also the distribution of sea ice in this region. A warming trend of 2.5 Kelvin has been observed on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula underlining the great significance of the issue. Furthermore, sea ice extension in the Bellingshausen Sea west of the Antarctic Peninsula has showed a negative trend during the last 25 years. This study sets out to discuss the state-of-the-art knowledge and understanding of the regional climatology of Marguerite Bay on the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. The regional climate of the area is predominantly influenced by its sheltered situation through protection by large surrounding islands, - e.g. Alexander Island and Adelaide Island - and the mountain chain of the Antarctic Peninsula. Synoptic situations with advection of warm and moist air masses from the north west and situations with föhn-type winds from the east predominate meteorology. In the inner part of Marguerite Bay mean air temperatures during the summer months rise only slightly above 0°C. Therefore, until recently small ablation zones could only be observed on northward orientated glaciers. Field work was carried out on the Northeast and McClary Glacier at 67° west and 68° south in Marguerite Bay. Three automatic weather stations were in operation on the Northeast - and McClary Glaciers in the summer of 1994/95. Furthermore, snow cover characteristics and snow cover development was observed by means of snow pits and ablation stakes. There was good agreement between the snow melt observed in summer and the snow melt calculated from micro-meteorological ...