Meteorological observations at Syowa Station in 1987 by the 28th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Abstract

This paper describes the results of meteorological observations (mainly surface, upper air and ozone) from 1 February 1987 to 31 January 1988 at Syowa Station, carried out by Meteorological Observation Team of the 28th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition. Observations and statistics of the surface and aerological data were automatically processed with the AMOS (Automated Meteorological Observation System), same as by the 27th Observation Team. Special observations of ozone were done for the ozone-hole phenomenon, using Dobson spectrophotometer and ozonesondes. Remarkable characteristics are as follows : 1) The monthly mean temperatures of all seasons except winter are higher than the normal temperature. The monthly mean wind speeds of all seasons except winter were high, especialy in November 1987 when the strongest wind was recorded. 2) Fourteen blizzards were encountered, but no blizzards from mid-June to mid-September 1987. The number and the days of blizzard in 1987 were the least record. 3) At troposphere, temperature was almost over the normal. At stratosphere, temperature was almost lower than normal and especialy from October to November the difference reached 10℃. Polar night jet stream ended in December, while normally changing in November. 4) Total ozone was depressed extraordinarily and reached 153m atm-cm on 8 October 1987. The ozone layer was separated into two peaks and between them the ozone-poor layer appeared.