Results from measurements and basic observations of meteorological elements carried out in 1978, at Arctowski Station situated on King George Island (South Shetland Islands) are presented.
On the basis of surface pressure analyses covering the area of south-west Atlantic, maps of monthly mean pressure fields for the period from March to December 1979 were drawn. In order to accentuate the dynamics of pressure processes, maps of standard deviation as well as of the skewness coefficient of the values forming the pressure field were also prepared. Apart from this, the variation of pressure in the particular points of the field in the months considered, was discussed. Attention was drawn to the distinct quasi-periodicity, dependent on location of the given point.
General meteorological conditions in the Admiralty Bay in 1978 did not deviate from those of many years. The data for 1978 were used to analyse the co-occurrence of four most perceptible meteorological parameters: temperature, air humidity, wind speed and precipitation. In summer these elements occurred simultaneously only in 1 — 2 intervals of values, in winter their occurrence within individual intervals was less numerous, but covered more of them.
In the summers of 1978 and 1979 meteorological observations and measurements were carried out in South Spitsbergen. These investigations gave a characteristic of the summer meteorological conditions in the forefield of the Gås Glacier. Some regularities were found to exist in the distribution of air temperature and other meteorological elements.
This paper gives the daily values of chosen meteorological elements measured at the Polar Station of the Polish Academy of Sciences at Hornsund, during the Vlth Expedition of the Polish Academy of Sciences to Spitsbergen. The tables give average daily values of air temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, cloud amount and wind speed, daily amounts of precipitation and bright sunshine, extreme temperature values, maximum instantaneous wind speed and snow cover thickness for all the days in the period under study.
An analysis of observation material concerning fog occurrence in Hornsund collected by seven whole-year expeditions of the Polish Academy of Sciences' to Spitsbergen in 1957—58, 1978—1980, 1981—1985 is presented. The frequencies of fog occurrence in Hornsund during a year and in particular months are compared with respective frequencies calculated for Norwegian stations in Svalbard. Data from the Poland territory are also quoted. The dependences of the fog frequency in Hornsund on air masses advection, circulation type, direction and speed of local winds, time of observation and temperature are shortly analyzed. The periods with long-lasting fogs (exampled by synoptic situations that favor them) are discussed more precisely. A short description of main meteorologie processes favoring the occurrence of fog in this part of Spitsbergen is presented.
This article aims to analyse the influence of weather types on meteorological
conditions in Petuniabukta (Svalbard) during July and August of 2016. The paper analyses
the daily courses of air temperature and humidity at four measurement points located on
the west bank of Petuniabukta near Adam Mickiewicz University Polar Station during
two different types of weather conditions: (i) cloudy and windy, (ii) calm and clear.
These weather types, distinguished on the basis of wind speed and cloudiness, allowed
for the creation of composite maps of the synoptic situation (SLP and geopotential
height of 500 hPa distribution) and its anomalies. In the study area, the air temperature
range in windy and cloudy weather conditions was larger (-10°C to 15°C) than that in
sunny and calm weather (0°C to 15°C), which contrasts the range of humidity values.
The diurnal cycle of meteorological elements in sunny and calm days is strongly related
to the sun elevation angle. In the above-mentioned weather types, the air temperature
was higher by several degrees (median 5°C to 8°C) than on windy and cloudy days
(median about 0°C to 6°C) at each measurement point. On days with sunny and calm
weather, a smaller vertical temperature gradient of air is observed (for sunny and calm
days 0.63°C and for windy weather 0.8°C).
This study gives an analysis of the variation of main meteorological parameters on the Station Arctowski in the time from December 1979 through March 1980 — the summer season of the IV Antarctic Expedition of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Characteristics of wind speed and direction, of air temperature, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, cloudiness, soil temperature at the station and surface water temperatures of the Admiralty Bay are based on the standard synoptic observations.
On the basis of the results of direct measurements, the conduction properties of the yearly behaviour of the halt flux conducted in the tundra soil (S) are determined. In general, the cooling period of the soil profile lasted from August to January, with highest intensity in October (S = —4.8 Wm-2). A rapid intensification of the heat exchange in the soil occurred in July (S = 7.4 Wm-2 ) . The 24-hour values of S were found to vary greatly (from 19 Wm-2 to 32 Wm-2). For chosen days, relationships were determined among the particular elements of the heat balance of the active layer.
On the basis of a year-long series of actinometric measurements performed in the vicinity of Polish Polar Station at Hornsund, this paper presents the characteristic of the value of solar radiation incoming at the active surface, of absorbed and net radiation. The maximum intensity of the direct solar radiation was 822 Wm-2, the annual sum total of total radiation was 2611 MJm-2, whereas the mean yearly albedo was 59%. The zero-crossing of the 24-hour sums of the net radiation towards negative values occurred at the turn of September and October.
Meteorological and biometeorological conditions during the warm seasons (June– September) of 1979–2008 are described for the Hornsund area, Spitsbergen. The measure− ments were taken at four sites: at Hornsund, at the Hans Glacier (at its equilibrium line and in the firn section) and at the summit of Fugleberget. The variation of meteorological and biometeorological conditions was analysed in relation to altitude, distance from the sea and the ground type. In warm seasons, the air temperature at Hornsund was 2.2°C higher on aver− age than at the Hans Glacier (central section) and by 2.8°C than at the Hans Glacier (firn sec− tion) and at Fugleberget. The average wind speed recorded at Hornsund was higher (0.6ms−1) than at the Hans Glacier and lower (0.9ms−1) than at Fugleberget. Four biometeorological in− dices were used: wind chill index (WCI), predicted insulation of clothing (Iclp), cooling power (H) and subjective temperature index (STI). The strongest thermal stimuli were ob− served on the Hans Glacier and in the upper mountain areas. The study has found a consider− able degree of spatial variation between the meteorological elements investigated and the biometeorological indices in the Hornsund area. The impact of atmospheric circulation on meteorological elements and biometeorological indices is also presented. The mildest bio− meteorological conditions of the warm season found at Hornsund were associated with air masses arriving from the southwest and west.
This paper describes the spatial differentiation of topoclimatic conditions in the vicinity of the Arctowski Station (King George Island, Antarctica) during the summer season of the 2006/2007. The measurement stations were located in the Point Thomas oasis as well as on the Ecology Glacier and Warszawa Icefield. The paper analyses meteorological elements such as air temperature, air humidity (eight sites) and wind direction and velocity (three sites). Significant topoclimatic diversities resulting from denivelation, exposure, ground properties and local air circulation were recorded in the study area.
Ground temperature variations have been analysed to the depth of 160 cm, with respect to meteorological elements and short-wave radiation balance. The database of the ground temperature covers a thirteen month-long period (May 1992 – June 1993), which included both the seasons of complete freezing of the ground and thaw. Special attention has been given to the development of perennial permafrost and its spatial distribution. In summer, the depth of thawing ground varied in different types of ground — at the Polish Polar Station, this was ca. 130 cm. The ground froze completely in the first week of October. Its thawing started in June. The snow cover restrained heat penetration in the ground, which hindered the ground thawing process. Cross-correlation shows a significant influence of the radiation balance (K*) on the values of near-surface ground temperatures (r2 = 0.62 for summer).
Investigations of the snow cover at the end of the winter 1990/1991 were carried out in several areas in West Spitsbergen, namely, Lomonosovfonna, Kongsvegen, Fridtjovbreen, Amundsenisen and that north of the Hornsund Fjord. The physical properties and chemical nature of precipitation and the snow cover were determined. The studies revealed high variation in the precipitation and the thickness of the snow cover: 317 mm w.e. (water equivalent) in the Hornsund area, 659 mm w.e. at Lomonosovfonna, 1076 mm w.e. at Fridtjovbreen and 1716 mm w.e. at Amundsenisen. The salt loads deposited in the snow cover in different parts of West Spitsbergen were also calculated (2.8 t/km2 at Lomonosovfonna, 15.8 t/km2 at Kongsvegen and 43.2 t/km2 at Amundsenisen). An intensive process of demineralisation during the conversion of snow to firn was revealed, reaching as much as 90% during the first summer. An attempt to determine the anthropogenic element content using the pH values for the precipitation and snow cover was also made. A distinct correlation between the physico-chemical characteristic of snow layer and falling snow was found. On the basis of the quality of the precipitation and snow cover, West Spitsbergen has been classified into following provinces: (1) northern situated within Arctic High (Lomonosovfonna and Kongsvegen), (2) southern ndergoing mainly moving air masses from the Arctic High and Greenland Low (Amundsenisen and Hornsund region).