Collaborative Research: Implementing Low-power, Autonomous Observing Systems to Improve the Measurement and Understanding of Antarctic Precipitation

准确测量南极洲的降水量对于计算南极洲等目的很重要。的质量平衡和对全球海平面上升的贡献，解释冰芯记录，并验证模型和卫星降水估计。迫切需要对南极降水进行可靠、自主和长期的测量，以便更好地了解其时空变化。尽管这些记录很重要，但随着时间的推移，非洲大陆基本上没有这些记录。该项目将部署和测试测量和记录南极降雪和吹雪速率的仪器，项目目标是在南极洲罗斯岛地区的自动气象站（AWS）地点安装四个低功率、自主的南极降水系统（APS）。APS设计有一个集成的传感器方法，以提供测试现场积雪类型的多种类型的观测。APS的目的是建立一个准确的时间轴的积雪，并区分水相当于下降降水从表面吹（放样）雪，一个主要的混杂因素。将部署的标准仪器套件包括：带双Alter挡风玻璃的降水量计、激光风速计、激光雪高传感器、光学降水探测器、高度风速计和可见光/红外网络摄像头。这些仪器先前已被证明在寒冷地区应用中工作良好。

Accurately measuring precipitation in Antarctica is important for purposes such as calculating Antarctica?s mass balance and contribution to global sea level rise, interpreting ice core records, and validating model- and satellite-based precipitation estimates. There is a critical need for reliable, autonomous, long-term measurements of Antarctic precipitation in order to better understand its variability in space in time. Such records over time are essentially absent from the continent, despite their importance. This project will deploy and test instrumentation to measure and record rates of snowfall and blowing snow in Antarctica.Project goals are based on installation of four low-power, autonomous Antarctic precipitation systems (APS) co-located at automatic weather station (AWS) sites in the Ross Island region of Antarctica. The APSs are designed with an integrated sensor approach to provide multiple types of observations of snow accumulation types at the test sites. The APSs are designed to construct an accurate timeline of snow accumulation, and to distinguish the water equivalent of fallen precipitation from surface blowing (lofted) snow, a prime confounding factor. The standard suite of instruments to be deployed includes: precipitation gauge with double Alter windshield, laser disdrometer, laser snow height sensor, optical precipitation detector, anemometer at gauge height, and a visible /infrared webcam. These instruments have previously been shown to work well in cold regions applications.