UPDATED INFORMATION* ON

NEW ZEALAND’s

ANTARCTIC and sub-ANTARCTIC

“WEATHER-FORECASTING” INTERESTS

for

The International Antarctic Weather Forecasting Handbook:

IPY 2007-08 Supplement

by

Sylvia Nichol

NIWA
Private Box 14-901
Kilbirnie, Wellington
New Zealand

s.nichol@niwa.co.nz

Submitted April 2008

*Contribution for:

Editors’ note: the information regarding New Zealand constitutes a new section – the Editors may need to consider the need to renumber sections. Also may need more information on New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands. And so the information below has not, at this time, been segmented into the various sub-sections relevant to the original Handbook style.

New Zealand doesn't do any operational forecasting in the Antarctic or the sub-Antarctic. However it does do atmospheric research and climate recording at Scott Base and climate recording at Campbell Island.

Scott Base, Antarctica (77.85°S, 166.75°E) has had a standard climate station in operation since 1957.  In addition, an AWS which provides hourly data, has been operating since December 1996.  Both datasets are fed into New Zealand’s National Climate Database and are available via htpp://cliflo-niwa.niwa.co.nz. The AWS observations are also available in real-time  at http://www.antarcticanz.govt.nz/weather/SBweather/sbweather.html.  Monthly mean surface air temperature and air pressure data are in the SCAR READER database.  The Scott Base climate measurements are run by NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research), and supported by Antarctica New Zealand.

 An extensive set of trace gas measurements is made close to Scott Base, at Arrival Heights (77.82°S, 166.65°E).  Arrival Heights is a site in the Network for Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC).  Total column measurements of ozone, NO2, HCl, HNO3, N2O, CH4, ClONO2 are made at Arrival Heights, and ClO profiles are measured at Scott Base; these data are submitted to the NDACC database, and the total column ozone data are also submitted to the World Ozone and Ultraviolet radiation Data Centre.  In addition, surface measurements of CH4, CO, N2O, 13CH4  are made at Arrival Heights; these data are submitted to the World Data Centre for Greenhouse Gases.  Surface ozone measurements are also made at Arrival Heights.

Campbell Island (52.55°S, 169.15°E) had a climate/synop station in operation from 1941 through to August 1995.  An AWS has been in operation since 1990.  Radiosonde flights were done at 00Z and 12Z from 1957 until April 1995.  These datasets are in New Zealand’s National Climate Database and are available via htpp://cliflo-niwa.niwa.co.nz .  Monthly mean surface air temperature and air pressure data are in the SCAR READER database.  The Campbell Island climate measurements are run by MetService.