An Antarctic Cloud Mass Transport Climatology overview

The Antarctic Meteorological Research Center at the Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison has created over 10 years of Antarctic composite infrared (~11.0 micron) satellite images. These images offer a good view of clouds and their motion about the Southern Hemisphere, and specifically their advection or transport onto the Antarctic continent. During the last 10 years when the composites were being constructed, it has been noticed that there are extended periods when clouds from storm systems or other cloud masses would be transported nearly perpendicularly onto specific regions of the Antarctic continent. These transport events occur with some periodicity over the last 10 years.

This presentation will discuss how these transport events have been studied in further detail using the first 9 years of composites available on videotape. Regions that received the most cloud transport events will be reviewed. A compilation and statistical analysis of the events will be reviewed, especially as it compares to other long term climate signals such as El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) via the Southern Oscillation Index. Some future directions for this work will be outlined.