Meteorological observations at Syowa Station, Antarctica, 2014 by the 55th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Abstract

This report describes the results of meteorological observations at Syowa Station from February 1st, 2014 to January 31st, 2015, carried out by the Meteorological Observation Team of the 55th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-55). The observation methods, instruments, and statistical methods used by JARE-55 were the same as those used by the JARE-54. Remarkable weather phenomena observed during the period of JARE-55 are as follows: 1) The number of occurrences of the blizzard was 23 times, which was smaller than 24.6 of annually average times from 1981 to 2010. Blizzard occurred in January 2015, the maximum wind speed (10-minute average) was 41.8 m/s, the maximum instantaneous wind speed was 51.4 m/s, both records for this month and during the period of JARE-55. Blizzard occurred every month except November. 2) The monthly sunshine duration in February 2014 was only 114.6 hours, a record low for this month. 3) On March 18th, 2014, the daily low relative humidity was 18%, which was the same value on July 11th, a record low since February 1981. 4) The amount of total ozone over Syowa Station from mid-August to mid-November was often less than 220 m atm-cm used as a target for the ozone hole for most of this period. The value for October 7th was 139 m atm-cm, which marked the minimum value of year 2014.

Keywords

• meteorology
• wintering
• syowa station