Meteorological observations at Syowa Station and Dome Fuji Station in 1995 by the 36th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Abstract

This paper describes the results of meteorological observations carried out by the Meteorological Observation Team of the 36th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-36) from 1 February 1995 to 31 January 1996 at Syowa Station and Dome Fuji Station. The first overwintering team at Dome Fuji Station had conducted year-round surface synoptic observations under extremely cold conditions that had not been experienced by any other Japanese projects before. The method of observations, instruments and statistical calculation at Syowa Station were the same as those of the JARE-35 observation team. At Dome Fuji Station, similar surface observation techniques were used. The principal topics in the period of JARE-36 were as follows. 1) In the "A" class blizzard which hit Syowa Station in October, 49.0m/s maximum gust wind speed was recorded, the strongest for October in history. 2) An Antarctic ozone hole of large scale was observed for the seventh successive years at Syowa Station. The lowest daily total ozone was 128m atm-cm on 6 October 1995,the lowest in the historical record of Syowa Station. 3) The lowest temperature of -79.6℃ for this period was marked on 18 August 1995 at Dome Fuji Station, the lowest in the history of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition.