TRAITE SUR L'ANTARCTIQbE TRATADO ANTARTICO CINQUIEME REUNION CONSULTATIVE QUINTA REUNION CONSULTIVA ANTARCTIC TREATY IIHTOE KOHCYJIbTATMBHOE COBEIUAHME FIFTH CONSlILTATIVE MEETING, ,n:OrOBOp OBAHTAPKTHKE . PARIS

Cute : ANT 8 Date :' 18 N~~~~br~ 1968 Original In Ehgli'Sh.

U. S. Proposals to Improve the Communication of Meteorological Data. in Ant ar-ct.Lca for consideration at the Fifth Consultative Meeting i. under the ~ntarctic Treaty in paris, November J8-29 Nove~ber1968

(",.f,.. The UnJ.ted states would accept the design~tionof' McHurdo Statio'n as an Antarctic Meteorological Center within the following par~meters ::'

1.: The' meteorological collection and transmispiori 'f~mctionS' would be. for data collected only from the United Sta.tee sta:tions' (other than, Palmer), from ships in the Ross Sea Area, and from Dumont d 'Urville •..

"2. . The use of McMurdo as an Antarctic Meteorological Center would .be with due regard to the priority of operational and scien.tific c'o'mmund>­ cationsrequirements~ ' .. ' /- .',: 3. The construction of the communications facilities required would be in accordance with criteria to meet operational and scientific requi- rements. . r r c".

During the 1968-69 operating.season, the United states will make a"feasi­ bility and design study regarding the o~ientation of a; directional antenn~ at McMurdo Station toward the Antarctic Peninsula to improve communication between those areas.' Pro~ided the construction of such an antenna, is feasible, McMurdo would be able to exchange data.with any single designated station in the Peninsula area.

DUe to limited communications facilibies, the United States can~ot apcept the designation of Palmer, Station as an Antarctic Meteor~logical Center. Although the United states has no preference as to whichstatic;m. in,the Peninsula area is an Arrtarc t.Lc Meteorologi.cal Center,it, wouL. s:j..mplify . communications if a si.ngle station we.re so desi.gna;ted. - 2 -

The United states desires to continue to receive meteorological data from Vostok, Novolazarevskaya, Molo(L~shnaya~ il.nbel et Mirny stations through Mirny or Molode2ihnaya (Mirny/Molodezhnaya). To simplify communications, the United States suggests the possibility of Mirny/Molodezhnaya as the point for transmission to McMurdo of weather data from Mawson~ Sanae, Showa and Wilkes. This season the Dnited States is making a feasibility and design study regarding the orientation of a directional antenna at McMurdo toward Mirny./Molodezhnaya. The United states presently receives at McMurdo some meteorological infor­ mation from the Chilean and Argentine Stations in the i..ntarctic Peninsula. This Ln.ror-matLon io now tranGmitted via Buenos·-ld.res to the United states

for onward routing to Christchurch J New Zealand and thence to McMurdo. Due to the number of relays involved, this data is not received at McMurdo in time for use in fOl'ecasting. .This c Lr cuf, t through Buenos-·1~,ires would not be used by the United states after the establishment of a single sta­ tion in the :l.ntarctic Peninsula area to transmit directly to HcMurdo. I, small amount of this ihformation is also available in the Port Stanley collective whicl1 is r~ceived'at McMurdo on a scheduled broadcast via relay through Byrd. This collective also includes most of the United Kingdom Antarctic Stations. As an informat~on item on forecast coverage and not related to,l\ntarctic meteorological communication problems; The United States receives the fbllowi~:,.g additional weather information at McHurdo ~ . . ". .. . 1. From Canberra, either through L:::·~. __~' chur-ch or directly, weather information from th~ ~ustralian stationi located outside I,ntarctica as well as from the Indian Oce~n Island ~tations and such information as is recei- ved from the whalihg ship repo):ts.

From 2.. New Eealand 1 either t.hrough Chr'lstc:o.urch of the Wellington ~roadcast, information from ine ~e~ ZealanfJtations located outside the l:..ntarctic including CampbeLl, Island "I MacQu&d.e Is2fancl and the Block 91 Islands.

From McHurdo the Uniteu. states ie presently ab~.e to s uppLy meteorological information to the following places in 1"l.ntarct:i_ca :

1. The weather in£·c;r.mation J:'eceivecl from the U.S, Stations. (excep- ting .Pa'Lme r-) and Dumorrt vd ' Urville is t.r-an sm:i, t ted t.o Hi:cn~f/Molodezhnaya.

·2. The weather informatioJ:1 received, from Mawso~'l Showa 1 Sanae and Wilkes is sent to Mirny/Molodezhnaya" Provided the United states is able to 0o~struct a directional antenna system oriented toward the Antarctic. Pell4-nsl11~1, McIv'iu:cdo would. be J?reparee· to trans mit to a de6ignated sti3.t·ion; 01). the Peninsula, the weatherinfoi'mation from

allU.S. Stations (except PalmGr) j from ships in the Ros.s Se?- M~ek." and from Dumcnt d I Urville 0 .... All meteorological informaticJn re~eived at McJvIurdo is sent toChristchurch 1 N. Z. and is transmitted f'rorn there to other communication stations outside Antarcticao - :3 -

To meet WHO requirements in the establishment of McMurdo as an 1.ntarctic Meteorological Center, the United States has the following objectives:

1. A target figure for a transmission time delay of not more than one hour from McMurdo to Christchurch for data collected from U.S. stations (except Palmer) and Dumont d'Urville.

2. Providing construction of the necessary directional antennas ay McMurdo is feasible, a similar maximum time delay of less than one hour for transmission of the same data to the Palmer Peninsula hrea and Mirny/ Molodezhnaya.

3 The United States does not dedicate telecommunication circuits for a single use within Antarctica but would have common user circuits available on an agreed upon schedule and subject to the priority of opera­ tional and scientific data.

4. Dailay coded analysis (and prognosis) will be available at McMurdo upon request during the austral summer operating season. These will concentrate on the area ·from 50 degrees South latitude, 150 degrees West longitude westward along 50 degrees South latitude to 80 degrees East longitude direct to 60 degrees South. latitude, 90 degrees West longitude, direct to 50 degrees South latitude, 150 degrees West longitude.

5. Terminal forecasts will be available at McMurdo twice daily upon request during the operating season.

6. During the operating season facsimile surface and 700 Millibar weather charts will be broadcast twice daily on circuit US 14 from McMurdo.

7. During the operating season McMurdo will issue Maritime Wind/Nil warnings for the area 1 bounded by 50 degrees South latitude, the filltarctic coast, 120 degrees East longitude, and 170 degrees West longitude, plus the Ross Sea.

The term Antarctic Metec~ological Center is utilized in this Proposal im view of the decision of the WMO Executive Committee at its 20th session in Geneva in June 1968 that this is the appropriate term to use in Antarctica rather than the term Regional Meteorological Center which is used in the World Weather Watch Plane See p~ragraph 4. 7~ 6. on the report of the WMO Executive Committee at its 20th Session.