McMurdo Dry Valleys Climate

NSF-Office of Polar Programs (Antarctic Oceans and Climate Systems), "Investigation of the Contemporary and Paleo Climates of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica", PI: A. Monaghan, Co-PI: D. Bromwich, 7/1/2007-6/30/2010, $263 K.

The McMurdo Dry Valleys comprise a unique polar desert ecosystem that is the largest ice-free region in Antarctica. The Dry Valleys are one of the most sensitive environments on Earth and thus are a bellwether of climate change for Antarctica, where detecting significant change has been difficult due to a lack of measurements and large variability on yearly-to-decadal timescales. This project has the goal of better understanding the complex climate of the Dry Valleys by employing atmospheric simulations from a high-resolution numerical model, Polar MM5, for a range of scenarios. Polar MM5 is a version of the Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) fifth generation mesoscale model optimized for the environment of polar ice sheets by the Polar Meteorology Group. Check back soon for details and data for this exciting new project.

The Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS)

NSF-Division of Atmospheric Sciences, "The Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System", PIs: J. Powers (NCAR), D. Bromwich, and J. Cassano (U. Colorado), ongoing since 2000.

AMPS is an experimental forecasting system dedicated to real-time numerical weather prediction in Antarctica since October 2000. AMPS employs Polar MM5 (and the next generation mesoscale model, Polar WRF) and is run at the Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology division of NCAR. The role of our group at OSU is to continue development of the model physics and to evaluate the system's performance. To date, AMPS has been a very successful experiment, contributing to the efficiency and safety of the operations of the U.S. Antarctic Program, and demonstrating first hand how scientific research can be applied to improve the quality of life. Further information and AMPS-related publications can be found on the Polar MM5 webpage.

Antarctic Snowfall Variability

NSF-Office of Polar Programs (Glaciology), "A 45-y hindcast of Antarctic surface mass balance using the Polar MM5", PI: D. Bromwich, Co-I's A. Monaghan, J. Box, K. Hines, 6/1/2004-5/31/2007, $267 K.

This project employed a mesoscale atmospheric model, Polar MM5, to simulate variability and change in the surface mass balance (the net accumulation of moisture) over Antarctica in recent decades. The work was motivated by the need to understand the contribution to global sea level change of Antarctica, which holds about 90% of the fresh water on earth. The model results also provide a valuable dataset of temperature, pressure, winds, moisture, etc. for the broader Antarctic research community that can be applied to a range of climate studies. The major accomplishments of this project included doubling the length of the Antarctic snowfall record (extending it back to 1955), and creating an extended near-surface temperature record that covers the entire continent. More information can be found on the Antarctic Hindcast Webpage.

Polar Meteorology Group

Byrd Polar Research Center

Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System

Antarctic Hindcast Webpage

Polar MM5

Ohio State University

OSU Geography Department

Geography 520 Class Web Page (Taught in Winter 2006)

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Water and Environmental Research Center

National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs