Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

Automatic weather station (AWS) program 2011-2012 field season report

M.A. Lazzara, L.J. Welhouse, J.E. Thom, J.J. Cassano, A.K. DuVivier, G.A. Weidner, L.M. Keller, and L. Kalnajs

2013, Antarctic Record, 57, 125-135

The 2011-2012 Austral summer marked the 32nd year of Automatic Weather Station (AWS) observations by the Space Science and Engineering Center with the University of Wisconsin – Madison. On-going studies with the network include topics in Antarctic meteorology and climate studies. This field season consisted of work throughout the Ross Island area, the Ross Ice Shelf, West Antarctica, and East Antarctica. Argos satellite transmissions are the primary method for relaying station data, but throughout this year, a number of stations in the Ross Island area have been converted to Freewave modems, with their data being relayed through McMurdo station. Each station visit contains information regarding the instrumentation used and the work performed.