DOCSLIB.ORG

Final Report Quantification and Interpretation of Long-Term UV-Visible Observations of the Stratosphere Acronym: QUILT

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Final Report Quantification and Interpretation of Long-Term UV-Visible Observations of the Stratosphere Acronym: QUILT Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development 1998-2002 Call identifier: EESD-ENV-99-2 Key Action 2: Global Change, Climate and Biodiversity Area 2.4 European Component of the Global Observing Systems RTD priority-2.4.1: Better Exploitation of Existing Data and Adaptation of Existing Observing Systems Final report Quantification and Interpretation of Long-Term UV-Visible Observations of the Stratosphere Acronym: QUILT Project number: EVK2-2000-00545 Contract N°: EVK2-CT-2000-00059 Date of preparation: 29 November 2004 1 1 QUILT Final Report I.1QUILT Final Report I.1 QUILT - Final Report Project coordinator: Geir O. Braathen, Norwegian Institute for Air Research Report edited by: Kerstin Stebel, Norwegian Institute for Air Research Contributions from: Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Kjeller, Norway Geir O. Braathen, Kåre Edvardsen, Britt Ann K. Høiskar, Arve Kylling, Kerstin Stebel, and Kjersti K. Tørnkvist Belgian Institute for Space-Aeronomy (IASB-BIRA), Brussels, Belgium Caroline Fayt, François Hendrick, and Michel Van Roozendael Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen (IUP-UHB), Bremen, Germany John P. Burrows, Sixten Fietkau, Thomas Medeke, Hilke Oetjen, Andreas Richter, Björn-Martin Sinnhuber, Mark Weber, and Folkard Wittrock Service d’Aéronomie du Centre National de la recherche Scientifique (CNRS-DR5- SA), Paris, France Florence Goutail, Aude Mieville, Franck Lefevre, Jean-Pierre Pommereau The Institute for Environmental Physics at the University of Heidelberg (U- Heidelberg), Heidelberg, Germany Andre Butz, Barbara Dix, Udo Frieß, Klaus Pfeilsticker, Ulrich Platt, Irene Pundt, Roman Sinreich, Christoph von Friedeburg, and Thomas Wagner University of Leeds (UNIVLEEDS), School of Environment, United Kingdom Martyn Chipperfield and Wuhu Feng NERC-British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Cambridge, United Kingdom Howard Roscoe and Laurent Denis National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain Manuel Gil, Monica Navarro, Olga Puentedura, and Margarita Yela National Institute for Space Research (SRON), Utrecht, The Netherlands Jos de Laat Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), Bologna, Italy Daniele Bortoli, Giorgio Giovanelli, Ivan Kostadinov, Andrea Petritoli, and Fabrizio Ravegnani Solar-Terrestrial Influences Laboratory, Stara Zagora Department, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (STIL-BAS) Rolf Werner QUILT Final Report I.2 Acronym List AMF Air Mass Factor CTM Chemical Transport Model DOAS Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy DSCD Differential Slant Column Density EASOE European Arctic Stratospheric Experiment EC European Commission ECMWF European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ENVISAT Environmental Satellite ERS European Remote Sensing Satellite ESA European Space Agency EU European Union GATO Global Atmospheric Observations GB Ground-Based GCM General Circulation Model GOME Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment NDSC Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change NRT Near-Real Time OA Off-axis DOAS ODP Ozone Depletion Potential ODS Ozone Depleting Substances PMT Project Management Team PSC Polar Stratospheric Cloud RTD Research, Technological development and Demonstration RTM Radiative Transfer Model SAGE Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment SAOZ Système d’analyse par observations zénithales SESAME Second European Stratospheric Arctic and Mid-latitude Experiment SCD Slant Column Density SCIAMACHY Scanning Imaging Absorption spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography SYMOCS System for Monitoring Compounds in the Stratosphere SZA Solar Zenith Angle THESEO Third European Stratospheric Experiment on Ozone UKMO United Kingdom Meteorological Office UNEP United Nations Environment Programme VINTERSOL Validation of INTER-national Satellites and study of Ozone Loss VCD Vertical Column Density WMO World Meteorological Organisation WP Work package WWW World Wide Web (Internet) 1 1 QUILT Final Report I.3QUILT Final Report I.3 SECTION 6 Detailed report related to overall project duration QUILT - Final Report 47 Section 6: Detailed report related to overall project duration 6.1 Background In the Antarctic, springtime O3 started to decrease dramatically in the early 1980’s. From 1980 onwards the size of the “ozone hole”, defined as that region having O3 value below 220 DU, grew, and in addition it persisted for increasingly longer periods. After about 1989 the extent of depletion has stayed fairly constant with arguably some increase in size and duration. As a result of the halogen in- duced depletion cycles, it appears that throughout the 1990s, the stratospheric po- lar vortex air below approximately 25 km had very low values of ozone: the halogens being activated by the multi-phase or heterogeneous reactions of the so- called halogen reservoir species (eg. HCl, ClONO2, HOCl, BrONO2 etc.) on polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs), which form at relatively low stratospheric tempera- tures. The source of the halogens is primarily the anthropogenic release of chlo- rofluorocarbon compounds (CFCs), their substitutes, the HCFCs, the halons, methyl bromide and related compounds. The stratospheric dynamics above the Arctic in winter and spring is in comparison with that above Antarctica less pre- dictable. It also appears that the ozone depletion in the polar vortex seems to be somewhat time lagged compared to that above Antarctica. Several winters win- ters in the 1990s associated with a strong and persistent polar vortex in the North- ern Hemisphere and low temperatures have been characterised by severe Arctic ozone loss. Figure Figure 6.1.1-1 shows how the change from 1980 to 1997. Figure 6.1.1-1. Monthly mean total ozone over the Northern Hemisphere for the month of March for the years 1980 (left) and 1997 (right). Figures are based on data from TOMS on Nimbus-7 and on the Earth Probe. The in the 1970’s the typical behaviour of having an ozone “high” over the polar cap is in recent winters no longer the case. This pattern of stratospheric ozone be- haviour resembles that observed over Antarctica, although the depletion is less se- vere. In general the most significant cases of ozone loss have been associated with unusually low temperatures in the Arctic stratosphere. Examples of this behaviour were in the winters and springs of 1995/1996, 1996/1997 and it appears that 1999/ 2000 is following this pattern. In contrast the stratosphere had an early warming in 1997/1998 and 1998/1999, and consequently the polar vortex was not stable. Nevertheless halogen activation and some associated ozone depletion could be observed in the polar vortex. Recently a link between global warming and stratospheric ozone depletion has been made. The resultant cooling of the stratosphere appears to stabilise the polar vortex and increase ozone depletion. Simulations coupling general circulation Figure 6.1.1-2. GCM calculations coupled with stratospheric chemistry models with stratospheric chemistry predict that the total ozone in the Arctic vor- show than one can expect the ozone tex in March can drop to 120 DU during the decade from 2010 to 2019 [Shindell, minimum in March to drop down to et al. 1998]. This is illustrated in Figure 6.1.1-2. Although these calculations are around 120 DU in certain winters uncertain, they show that the coupling between ozone and climate can cause se- between 2010 and 2019. In Antarctica vere ozone depletion after the maximum in halogen loading has been reached. one could expect ozone to drop down to 75 DU. Adapted from Shindell et al. 48 QUILT - Final Report 6.1 Background At mid latitudes significant ozone depletion is also observed. The explanation of this phenomenon is not yet fully understood, having aspects of dilution of ozone poor air from the polar vortex, possible halogen activation and homogene- ous gas phase catalytic destruction of ozone by halogen species in the middle and upper stratosphere. Several other factors that remain yet to be explained include: ✎ The increasing trend of stratospheric NO2. The trend is larger than expected from decreasing aerosol loadings, and models also appear to under estimate NO2 in Polar Regions. ✎ What is the role of stratospheric iodine, i.e., IO, in stratospheric ozone depletion? In summary as a result of the non-linear complex nature of the atmosphere chemistry, transport models of the atmosphere in spite of large improvements in their accuracy in the last 25 years, continue to rely on the long-term measurement of atmospheric composition. For policymakers there is a clear need to continue and improve the accuracy of measurements of stratospheric constituents and com- bine these with models describing and predicting the behaviour of the strato- sphere. The growing risk for future ozone loss increases the need for reliable atmospheric chemistry models. The objectives of QUILT specifically address this need. QUILT aims to combine not only validated global measurements of ozone and key stratospheric constituents and test the capability of the atmospheric mod- els using existing data, but to extend and improve the data set for the period 2001 to 2003 when stratospheric halogen loading is predicted to reach its maximum. In addition it will continue to provide the user community with near real time data products from the European satellite instrument GOME. References: Shindell, D.T, D. Rind and P. Lonergan, Increased polar stratospheric ozone losses and delayed eventual recovery owing to increasing greenhouse-gas concentrations, Nature, 392, 589-592, 1998. WMO (1998), Scientific Assessment of Ozone
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Antarctic Primer
    Antarctic Primer By Nigel Sitwell, Tom Ritchie & Gary Miller By Nigel Sitwell, Tom Ritchie & Gary Miller Designed by: Olivia Young, Aurora Expeditions October 2018 Cover image © I.Tortosa Morgan Suite 12, Level 2 35 Buckingham Street Surry Hills, Sydney NSW 2010, Australia To anyone who goes to the Antarctic, there is a tremendous appeal, an unparalleled combination of grandeur, beauty, vastness, loneliness, and malevolence —all of which sound terribly melodramatic — but which truly convey the actual feeling of Antarctica. Where else in the world are all of these descriptions really true? —Captain T.L.M. Sunter, ‘The Antarctic Century Newsletter ANTARCTIC PRIMER 2018 | 3 CONTENTS I. CONSERVING ANTARCTICA Guidance for Visitors to the Antarctic Antarctica’s Historic Heritage South Georgia Biosecurity II. THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT Antarctica The Southern Ocean The Continent Climate Atmospheric Phenomena The Ozone Hole Climate Change Sea Ice The Antarctic Ice Cap Icebergs A Short Glossary of Ice Terms III. THE BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT Life in Antarctica Adapting to the Cold The Kingdom of Krill IV. THE WILDLIFE Antarctic Squids Antarctic Fishes Antarctic Birds Antarctic Seals Antarctic Whales 4 AURORA EXPEDITIONS | Pioneering expedition travel to the heart of nature. CONTENTS V. EXPLORERS AND SCIENTISTS The Exploration of Antarctica The Antarctic Treaty VI. PLACES YOU MAY VISIT South Shetland Islands Antarctic Peninsula Weddell Sea South Orkney Islands South Georgia The Falkland Islands South Sandwich Islands The Historic Ross Sea Sector Commonwealth Bay VII. FURTHER READING VIII. WILDLIFE CHECKLISTS ANTARCTIC PRIMER 2018 | 5 Adélie penguins in the Antarctic Peninsula I. CONSERVING ANTARCTICA Antarctica is the largest wilderness area on earth, a place that must be preserved in its present, virtually pristine state.
    [Show full text]
  • Antarctica: Music, Sounds and Cultural Connections
    Antarctica Music, sounds and cultural connections Antarctica Music, sounds and cultural connections Edited by Bernadette Hince, Rupert Summerson and Arnan Wiesel Published by ANU Press The Australian National University Acton ACT 2601, Australia Email: [email protected] This title is also available online at http://press.anu.edu.au National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Title: Antarctica - music, sounds and cultural connections / edited by Bernadette Hince, Rupert Summerson, Arnan Wiesel. ISBN: 9781925022285 (paperback) 9781925022292 (ebook) Subjects: Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911-1914)--Centennial celebrations, etc. Music festivals--Australian Capital Territory--Canberra. Antarctica--Discovery and exploration--Australian--Congresses. Antarctica--Songs and music--Congresses. Other Creators/Contributors: Hince, B. (Bernadette), editor. Summerson, Rupert, editor. Wiesel, Arnan, editor. Australian National University School of Music. Antarctica - music, sounds and cultural connections (2011 : Australian National University). Dewey Number: 780.789471 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design and layout by ANU Press Cover photo: Moonrise over Fram Bank, Antarctica. Photographer: Steve Nicol © Printed by Griffin Press This edition © 2015 ANU Press Contents Preface: Music and Antarctica . ix Arnan Wiesel Introduction: Listening to Antarctica . 1 Tom Griffiths Mawson’s musings and Morse code: Antarctic silence at the end of the ‘Heroic Era’, and how it was lost . 15 Mark Pharaoh Thulia: a Tale of the Antarctic (1843): The earliest Antarctic poem and its musical setting . 23 Elizabeth Truswell Nankyoku no kyoku: The cultural life of the Shirase Antarctic Expedition 1910–12 .
    [Show full text]
  • Catching Cosmic Rain Dr
    Catching Cosmic Rain Dr. James Madsen Jongil Jung University of Wisconsin River Falls Dylan Frikken UWRF Samantha Pedek UWRF Eric Thuma Dr. Paul Evenson Stoney Creek HS University of Delaware PolarTREC Expedition 2016: Neutron Monitors for Solar Study • Where did we work? • How did we get there? • Who was involved? • What are we studying? • What did we do? • What about students? Where did we work? Antarctica! • Coldest, Windiest, Highest, Driest Continent • McMurdo Station, Ross Island • Amundsen-Scott Station, South Pole How did we get there? • 27 hours in airplanes • Detroit to Dallas to Los Angeles to Aukland, NZ to Christchurch, NZ • Christchurch to McMurdo Station, Antarctica • Then some of us go from McMurdo to the South Pole • Getting cold weather gear in Christchurch • We were delayed for four days coming in from Christchurch to McMurdo. So we had some time to enjoy New Zealand. • Inside the C-130, lots of space but little comfort • First steps in Antarctica • Our transport to McMurdo Station, Ivan the Terra Bus Who was Involved? Eric Thuma • High school teacher at Stoney Creek High School in Rochester, MI • First time in Antarctica Dr. James Madsen • Professor, Chair UWRF Physics Department • Associate Director of IceCube, responsible for Education and Outreach • 5th deployment to Antarctica Dr. Paul Evenson • University of Delaware • Lead Researcher for the CosRay neutron monitors • 15th deployment to Antarctica What are we studying? CosRay • Studying the severe solar storms • These produce high energy particles • We want to know how this happens • We record neutrons produced when the high energy particles interact in the atmosphere IceCube • Studying high energy astrophysical events What did we do? We prepared to ship the neutron monitors to New Zealand for transport to Jang Bogo Station.
    [Show full text]
  • The Antarctic Sun, December 25, 2005
    December 25, 2005 Scientists seek to label whale species By Steven Profaizer Sun staff Patches of pure white splashed on an inky black body. Two-meter-tall dorsal fin slicing through the water’s surface. An attraction at SeaWorld. A pack hunter with cunning intelligence and stunning power. The killer whale, or orca, is one of the most universally known animals in the world. They are also one of the most wide- spread mammals, second only to humans, and inhabit all of the world’s oceans. Yet scientists are still working to deter- mine how many species of killer whales exist. Only one species is currently rec- ognized, but many people, including researcher Robert Pitman, believe there may be two additional species among the estimated 20,000 to 80,000 killer whales that inhabit Antarctic waters. Pitman is far from the first to believe this: Soviet 5 Union whalers in the early 1980s first Deep Freeze turns 0 observed the killer whales’ differences in diet, preferred habitat and coloring. He By Emily Stone does, however, hope to be part of the team Sun staff that finally solves the mystery. Al Hisey spent one of his first nights at McMurdo Station by accident. Pitman, of the National Oceanic and It was 1955, and he was ferrying supplies by tractor from Navy ships across the Atmospheric Administration, led a team sea ice of McMurdo Sound to the spot on Ross Island where the station was being to Antarctica last year on a two-week mis- built. During one of the first trips, there was a major break in the ice between the sion that used sophisticated technology to fledgling station and the ships.
    [Show full text]
  • The Antarctic Sun, November 23, 2003
    Published during the austral summer at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, for the United States Antarctic Program November 23, 2003 Finding a way to the Pole... Photo by Kris Kuenning /The Antarctic Sun The team charged with finding an overland way to the South Pole left McMurdo Station Tuesday. This year’s journey will take the seven men to the Leverett Glacier and back by early February. See South Pole traverse on page 11, Science traverse on page 10 Moon to stage show for Ice people By Brien Barnett, Kristan Hutchison peak of the show lasts only about two min- cent of the sun’s disk covered by the and Kris Kuenning utes. moon. About 10 minutes later, South Pole Sun Staff Cross your fingers for clear skies. residents will see almost 90 percent of the Most times the best party is one with McMurdo forecaster Greg McQuoid said a disk covered. In your haste to witness the the lights off. weather system is due in from the Ross phenomenon, remember not to look So, hats off to the moon for agreeing to Sea on Monday and viewers there should directly at the sun. (See story page 9.) throw the switch midday Monday to kick expect a mostly cloudy day with an occa- One group of astronomy fans at start the total solar eclipse party. sional break. McMurdo is hoping to receive solar filter Most everybody in Antarctica will be At McMurdo station the show begins sunglasses from the States. able to witness at least a part of the Sunday at 22:08:57 UT or just after 11:08 “Otherwise, we’ll watch it through eclipse, with those in extremely remote a.m.
    [Show full text]
  • Working As a Mountaineer in Antarctica: 40 Years in the Making
    Appalachia Volume 70 Number 1 Winter/Spring 2019: Quests That Article 3 Wouldn't Let Go 2019 Working as a Mountaineer in Antarctica: 40 Years in the Making Todd Swain Donnette Swain Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/appalachia Part of the Nonfiction Commons Recommended Citation Swain, Todd and Swain, Donnette (2019) "Working as a Mountaineer in Antarctica: 40 Years in the Making," Appalachia: Vol. 70 : No. 1 , Article 3. Available at: https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/appalachia/vol70/iss1/3 This In This Issue is brought to you for free and open access by Dartmouth Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Appalachia by an authorized editor of Dartmouth Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Working as a Mountaineer in Antarctica 40 years in the making Todd and Donette Swain 8 Appalachia Appalachia_WS2019_FINAL_REV.indd 8 10/26/18 10:34 AM Editor’s note: Todd and Donette Swain wrote this piece together. The narrator is Todd. irca 1977 I asked Marc Levesque for help in climbing, C which I’d just started. I was 17 and lived in New Hampshire. Marc chaired the mountaineering section of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s New Hampshire Chapter. My time with him and other members laid the foundation for decades of climbing adventures all over the world. Marc told me he had worked in Antarctica. Not only had he lived through the challenging conditions of austral summer, he had stayed through a long winter season. I had never heard of anyone visiting the far-flung continent, let alone working there.
    [Show full text]
  • US Geological Survey Scientific Activities in the Exploration Of
    Prepared in cooperation with United States Antarctic Program, National Science Foundation U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Activities in the Exploration of Antarctica: 1995–96 Field Season By Tony K. Meunier Richard S. Williams, Jr., and Jane G. Ferrigno, Editors W 0° E 60°S Fimbul Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf Ice Shelf Lazarev Brunt Ice Shelf Ice Shelf Weddell Larsen Sea Ice Shelf Filchner Ice Shelf ANTARCTIC 80 S T ° PENINSULA R Amery Ronne A Wordie Ice N Ice Shelf Ice Shelf Shelf S A N EAST West George VI T A Ice Shelf Sound R Amundsen-Scott 90°W WEST C 90°E T South Pole Station Abbot I ANTARCTICA C Ice Shelf M ANTARCTICA O Leverett Glacier U N T A Shackleton Glacier Ross IN Shackleton S Ice Shelf Ice Shelf Skelton Glacier Getz Taylor Glacier Ice Shelf Sulzberger McMurdo McMurdo Dry Valleys Ice Shelf Station Voyeykov Ice Shelf Cook Ice Shelf 0 1000 KILOMETERS W 180° E Open-File Report 2006–1114 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Mark D. Myers, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 2007 For product and ordering information: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within this report.
    [Show full text]
  • SOLAR ECLIPSE NEWSLETTER SOLAR ECLIPSE January 2004 NEWSLETTER
    Volume 9, Issue 1 SOLAR ECLIPSE NEWSLETTER SOLAR ECLIPSE January 2004 NEWSLETTER The sole Newsletter dedicated to Solar Eclipses INDEX 2 SECalendar January 41 Star of Bethlehem and possibly eclipse seen 8 SEC2004 in EMA68 42 Spencer Howson ABC Brisbane QF 2901 Eclipse Report 10 SEML 42 Our Eclipse from the Quantas Flight 10 Index SENL December 42 Big earthquake in Iran 11 Pasachoff Book 43 Eclipse sighting 13 Wide field shot 43 SENL to come (January 2004) 14 Umbral Green 44 Number of total eclipses 14 TSE 2003 IMAGING from the QF 2901 Flight Deck 45 Picture Table Sheridan Williams 14 Eclipse and horizon color 47 Birth of Christ Annular Eclipse 14 Reassurance about my request for high rez pix 52 TSE 2002 link pages? 16 I need some high res pix of eclipse for museum dis- 52 TSE2003 Qantas Flight Photos play 53 "winged sun" corona? 17 2003 annular eclipse video 55 TSE2003 Qantas Flight Photos 17 APOD - Congrats, Fred! 56 TSE League Table 17 Lunar Eclipse 56 Antarctic Eclipse Viewers at AAS? 18 Happy Anniversary... 57 Umbra-whatever, Scio-whatever 19 Solar Watch 57 Annular eclipse table 19 CALIBRATED CCD IMAGES FROM QF 2901 58 QF 2901 "Freebies" FLIGHT DECK... AND SOHO 58 Nabta stones 20 Qantas Eclipse Flight 59 ARTE TV 1999 Total Solar Eclipse Report 20 Picture Qantas Eclipse Flight 60 Mayan astronomy & cultural interpretation 21 Antarctic Video Compilation 63 The Longest Day of the Year 21 SOHO+QANTA (was: Gone for a few Days) 63 Delta T 21 My paper on maximum duration of TSE 64 Transit of Venus Web site 23 Canadian Discovery Channel Video
    [Show full text]
  • Greatest Day
    GREATEST DAY 2019 This is the chance to experience the real interior of Antarctica in a single day. You can either buy a seat or charter an entire Gulfstream private jet. PER SEAT PRICE : US$13,500 CHARTER PRICE : US$150,000 Cape Town is home to award-winning vineyards and stunning 33o 56’ 29” S 18o 27’ 40” E ocean vistas. It is often tipped as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Start POINT We will host a safety briefing the day before the flight where our staff will explain all kit requirements, assist with any last CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA minute preparations and update you as to the latest weather forecasts in Antarctica. Atlantic Ocean CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean WOLF’S FANG RunwaY Weddell Sea Bellingshausen Sea GEOGRAPHIC SOUTH POLE Pacific Ocean FLIGHT Flight to Wolf’s Fang, Antarctica : 5hrs Maximum Client : 12 Aircraft : Gulfstream G550 TRAVEL SOUTH AFRICA TO ANtarctICA Your Antarctic adventure begins as you fly out from Cape Town across the mighty Southern Ocean. The five hour journey transports guests from the African night, over thousands of icebergs and passes into 24hrs of continuous sunshine. Destination: Wolf’s Fang runway. EEXPXPERERIIEENNCECE AA PPlacelace ASAS BIBIGG ASAS YYOUOURR IMIMagagININatatIONION 70o 46’ 37” S 11o 49’ 26” E WOLf’S FANG RUNWay Wolf’s Fang runway sits beneath one of the most magnificent and iconic mountains on the entire continent. Once on the ground you are surrounded by kilometer high monoliths of rock that rise vertically from the ice, creating a landscape that is simply breathtaking.
    [Show full text]
  • Astronomy in Antarctica
    The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review (2011) DOI 10.1007/s00159-010-0032-2 REVIEWARTICLE Michael G. Burton Astronomy in Antarctica Received: 3 May 2010 c Springer-Verlag 2010 Abstract Antarctica provides a unique environment for astronomers to practice their trade. The cold, dry and stable air found above the high Antarctic plateau, as well as the pure ice below, offers new opportunities for the conduct of obser- vational astronomy across both the photon and the particle spectrum. The sum- mits of the Antarctic plateau provide the best seeing conditions, the darkest skies and the most transparent atmosphere of any earth-based observing site. Astro- nomical activities are now underway at four plateau sites: the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Concordia Station at Dome C, Kunlun Station at Dome A and Fuji Station at Dome F, in addition to long duration ballooning from the coastal station of McMurdo, at stations run by the USA, France/Italy, China, Japan and the USA, respectively. The astronomy conducted from Antarctica includes op- tical, infrared, terahertz and sub-millimetre astronomy, measurements of cosmic microwave background anisotropies, solar astronomy, as well as high energy as- trophysics involving the measurement of cosmic rays, gamma rays and neutrinos. Antarctica is also the richest source of meteorites on our planet. An extensive range of site testing measurements have been made over the high plateau sites. In this article, we summarise the facets of Antarctica that are driving developments in astronomy there, and review the results of the site testing experiments undertaken to quantify those characteristics of the Antarctic plateau relevant for astronomical observation.
    [Show full text]
  • The Antarctic Sun, January 18, 2004
    Published during the austral summer at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, for the United States Antarctic Program January 18, 2004 Taking the temperature of sea ice By Kristan Hutchison Sun staff Arctic researchers came to the opposite end of the world to check the sea ice temperature and compare it to the frozen north. Temperature and other vital signs may explain why Arctic and Antarctic sea ice melt differently. On a large scale, the Arctic sea ice has shrunk by 300,000 square km every decade since 1972, while the Antarctic has lost half as much ice and in recent years has expanded. At McMurdo Station, sea ice is the stuff Photo by Scott Metcalfe / Special to The Antarctic Sun people ski on, drive on, land planes on, and One of the South Pole traverse vehicles struggles through deep snow, which slowed then try to break a channel through for resupply the traverse. vessels. Around Barrow, Alaska they also snowmachine across the ice in the winter, then launch boats to hunt whales in the spring. Snow slows traverse Globally, the frozen polar seas have an important, if less obvious, role. By Kristan Hutchison at a walking pace. “The ocean is the biggest reservoir of heat Sun staff “Though we are disappointed that on the planet and if you can get the heat out that On a wide, white prairie, a caravan we are not making the southward can do a lot to warm a place,” said glaciologist of tractors and trailers halted and five advance at a better pace,” Wright wrote Hajo Eicken, one of two Alaskan sea ice men stepped out, holding wrenches and in a report Dec.
    [Show full text]
  • MEMORANDUM of AGREEMENT Between the National Science
    MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION OFFICE OF POLAR PROGRAMS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY NAVAL MEDIA CENTER REGARDING RADIO AND TELEVISION SERVICES IN SUPPORT OF THE UNITED STATES ANTARCTIC PROGRAM TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................III ARTICLE I BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................1 A. PURPOSE ...................................................................................................................................1 B. ROLE OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION .......................................................................1 C. CHARTER FOR SUPPORT, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.................................................................1 D. ROLE OF THE NAVAL MEDIA CENTER.......................................................................................2 E. TRANSITION OF DOD EXECUTIVE AGENT FOR ANTARCTIC SUPPORT .......................................2 F. AFRTS SATELLITE BROADCAST CONVERSION TO DIGITAL SERVICE........................................3 ARTICLE II AUTHORITY..........................................................................................................4 ARTICLE III ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY ............................................................5 A. NAVAL MEDIA CENTER ............................................................................................................5 1. Administration.......................................................................................................................5
    [Show full text]