The Atmospheric Circulation Conditions During the Amundsen and Scott South Pole Race, 1911-1912

The austral summer of 1911-1912 was the year of the dramatic race to the geographic South Pole by Ronald Amundsen and Robert F. Scott.  Amundsen achieved the Pole in December 1911, and Scott arrived nearly a month later only to find he was beaten by the Norwegian team.  Unfortunately, Scott and his four companions perished on their return journey, leaving this story with a tragic ending.  While many factors played a role in the failure of the British expedition to the South Pole, weather was certainly one of them.  Previous research has investigated, using some digitized observations from both Amundsen and Scott, the conditions each experienced on their journeys.  Here, using statistical reconstructions of pressure at several locations across Antarctica that date back until 1905, the atmospheric circulation patterns during this poleward adventure are documented in more detail than ever before.  The poster will present information on the conditions during their journey in context of atmospheric variability over Antarctic during the 20th century, allowing for a more detailed understanding of the role that weather played in the unfortunate ending for Scott and his companions.