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对于计算南极洲S的物质平衡和对全球海平面上升的贡献、解释冰芯记录以及验证基于模型和卫星的降水估计是很重要的。迫切需要对南极降水进行可靠、自主的长期测量，以便更好地了解其在空间和时间上的变异性。随着时间的推移，这样的记录在非洲大陆基本上是不存在的，尽管它们很重要。该项目将部署和测试仪器，以测量和记录南极洲的降雪和吹雪速度。该项目的目标是在南极洲罗斯岛地区的自动气象站(AWS)站点安装四个低功率、自主的南极降水系统(APS)。APSS的设计采用了集成的传感器方法，以提供测试地点积雪类型的多种类型的观测。APSS的设计目的是构建一个准确的积雪时间线，并区分降雨量和表面吹雪(放样)的水当量，这是一个主要的混杂因素。将部署的标准仪器套件包括：双变挡风玻璃雨量计、激光测厚仪、激光积雪高度传感器、光学降雨量探测器、仪表高度风速计和可见光/红外网络摄像头。这些仪器此前已被证明在寒冷地区的应用中效果良好。

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.