Sea Ice Data Buoys in the Weddell Sea.
Abstract
Data obtained from two sets of data buoys either air-dropped or deployed by ship onto the Weddell Sea pack ice during the period from Dec 1978 to Nov 1980 are presented. The buoy data include position, pressure and temperature information and to date represent the most complete combined weather and pack ice drift records for the ice-covered Southern Ocean regions. The buoys tended to drift north initially and then to turn east generally between latitudes 62 deg S and 64 deg S. Buoy 1433 turned east farther south at approximately 67 deg S but at about the same time as buoy 0527, implying that the westerly wind belt was farther south than usual in 1979. The range of air pressure--from about 950 mb to about 10200 mb--is typical of the circumpolar low pressure trough in the Southern Hemisphere. All buoys were equipped with an internal or compartment temperature sensor. The 1980 buoys also contained an external air temperature sensor in a ventilated, shielded can at 1-m height. Although differences of 10 C or more between recorded air and compartment temperatures are common, the correlation between the two measured temperatures is generally very good. The compartment temperatures are higher probably because the buoy is radiationally heated. We found that subtracting 3 C from the average daily compartment temperature yielded a good estimate of the average air temperature for any given day. This technique can be used to construct average daily air temperature records for the 1979 buoys which only contained the internal or compartment temperature sensor.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA144953
Entities
People
- E. T. Holt
- S. F. Ackley
Organizations
- Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory