2010-2011 Antarctic Automated Weather Station Field Season

The 2010-2011 Antarctic field season was one of the most successful on record. SSEC’s Antarctic Meteorological Research Center sent three researchers to Antarctica during the December-February months – Jonathan Thom and Lee Welhouse from UW-Madison and Melissa Nigro from the University of Colorado-Boulder. The plan was to service, remove and add various weather stations throughout the continent. The AMRC was hoping to service seven stations, remove three stations, and install two stations, all of which was completed successfully! Nearly two-dozen AWS sites were visited this year by the field team or collaborating field parties from other nations.

Scientists can normally expect a few complications during a typical field season: weather can delay operations significantly so that at least one or two tasks do not get completed. However, this year, there were no weather problems and everything went smoothly.

The installation of one station was highly anticipated by the Antarctic community: Tall Tower. Located on the Ross Ice Shelf, this tower stands 100 feet (30.5 meters) and remains one of the greatest accomplishments of the 2010-2011 field season.

Tall Tower AWS located 100 miles south of McMurdo Station, on the Ross Ice Shelf.
(Photo Courtesy of Melissa Nigro)

Another success story was the servicing of Whitlock AWS on Franklin Island – accomplished during a short ship cruise on the Oden Icebreaker.

New Whitlock AWS on Franklin Island, in the Ross Sea, North of McMurdo Station.
(Photo Courtesy of Melissa Nigro)

Lee Welhouse (left) with help from RSPC staff Todd and Cecelia at Janet AWS site.

Submitted by Elena Willmot.

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