AWS Data: Characteristics of Snow Megadunes and Their Potential Effect on Ice Core Interpretation  View Catalog Page
Identification Information:
Dataset Identifier:
NSIDC-0283
Citation:
Citation Information:
Originator: Mark Fahnestock
Publication Date: 20061005
Title: AWS Data: Characteristics of Snow Megadunes and Their Potential Effect on Ice Core Interpretation
Publication Information:
Publication Place: Boulder, Colorado USA
Publisher: NSIDC: National Snow and Ice Data Center
Online Linkage: http://nsidc.org/data/nsidc-0283.html
Online Linkage: http://dx.doi.org/10.7265/N5K935F3
Description:
Abstract:
The Antarctic megadune research was conducted during two field seasons, one in November 2002 and the other during the period of December 2003 through January 2004. The megadune field site is located on the East Antarctic Plateau, southeast of Vostok station. The objectives of this multi-facetted research are 1) to determine the physical characteristics of the firn across the dunes including typical climate indicators such as stable isotopes and major chemical species and 2) to install instruments to measure the time variation of near-surface wind and temperature with depth, to test and refine hypotheses for megadune formation. It is important to improve our current understanding of the megadunes because of their extreme nature, their broad extent, and their potential impact on the climate record. Megadunes are a manifestation of an extreme terrestrial climate and may provide insight on the past terrestrial climate or on processes active on other planets.
Snow megadunes are undulating variations in accumulation and surface texture with wavelengths of 2 to 5 km and amplitudes up to 5 meters. The features cover 500,000 km2 of the East Antarctic plateau, occurring in areas of moderate regional slope and low accumulation on the flanks of the ice sheet between 2500 and 3800 meters elevation. Landsat images and aerial photography indicate the dunes consist of alternating surfaces of glaze and rough sastrugi, with gradational boundaries. This pattern is oriented perpendicular to the mean wind direction, as modeled in katabatic wind studies. Glazed surfaces cover the leeward faces and troughs; rough sastrugi cover the windward faces and crests. The megadune pattern is crossed by smooth to eroded wind-parallel longitudinal dunes. Wind-eroded longitudinal dunes form spectacular 1-meter-high sastrugi in nearby areas.
This data set contains automated weather station (AWS) data from two sites. The Mac site was oriented on the rough sastrugi-covered windward face and the Zoe site was on the glazed leeward face. The AWSs collected data throughout the year from 16 January 2004 to 17 November 2004. Investigators received data from the two field sites via the ARGOS Satellite System (http://www.argosinc.com/). Data are provided in space-delimited ASCII text format and are available via FTP.
Purpose: scientific research
Documentation:
User's Guide:
Citation Information:
Originator: Mark Fahnestock
Publication Date: 20061005
Title: AWS Data: Characteristics of Snow Megadunes and Their Potential Effect on Ice Core Interpretation
Publication Information:
Publication Place: Boulder, Colorado USA
Publisher: NSIDC: National Snow and Ice Data Center
Online Linkage: http://nsidc.org/data/docs/agdc/nsidc0283_fahnestock/index.html
Time Period of Content:
Time Period Information:
Range of Dates/Times:
Beginning Date: 20040116
Ending Date: 20041117
Currentness Reference: publication date
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance and Update Frequency: Unknown
Spatial Domain:
Bounding Coordinates:
West Bounding Coordinate: 124.4345°
East Bounding Coordinate: 124.52668°
North Bounding Coordinate: -80.77546°
South Bounding Coordinate: -80.79008°
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme Keyword Thesaurus: NASA Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
Theme Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE Atmosphere Atmospheric Pressure Atmospheric Pressure Measurements Barometric Pressure
Theme Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE Atmosphere Atmospheric Temperature Air Temperature
Theme Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE Atmosphere Atmospheric Temperature Surface Air Temperature
Theme Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE Atmosphere Atmospheric Winds Surface Winds
Theme Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE Atmosphere Atmospheric Winds Wind Profiles Wind Direction
Theme Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE Atmosphere Atmospheric Winds Wind Profiles Wind Speed
Theme Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE Cryosphere Glaciers/Ice Sheets Firn Temperature
Theme Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE Cryosphere Snow/Ice Snow/Ice Temperature
Theme Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE Terrestrial Hydrosphere Snow/Ice Snow/Ice Temperature
Theme:
Theme Keyword Thesaurus: None
Theme Keyword:
Theme:
Theme Keyword Thesaurus: NASA Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords
Theme Keyword: ANEMOMETERS
Theme Keyword: ARGOS ARGOS Data Collection and Position Location System
Theme Keyword: PRESSURE SENSORS
Theme Keyword: THERMOMETERS
Theme Keyword: WIND PROFILERS
Theme:
Theme Keyword Thesaurus: NASA Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Platform Keywords
Theme Keyword: WEATHER STATIONS
Theme:
Theme Keyword Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Categories
Theme Keyword: climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere
Theme:
Theme Keyword Thesaurus: None
Theme Keyword: AGDC
Theme Keyword: Air Temperatures
Theme Keyword: Antarctic
Theme Keyword: Antarctica
Theme Keyword: Atmospheric Pressure
Theme Keyword: Automated Weather Stations
Theme Keyword: AWS
Theme Keyword: East Antarctic Plateau
Theme Keyword: Firn Temperature Measurements
Theme Keyword: Megadunes
Theme Keyword: Polar Firn Air
Theme Keyword: Surface Temperatures
Theme Keyword: Wind Direction
Theme Keyword: Wind Speed
Place:
Place Keyword Thesaurus: NASA Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
Place Keyword: Continent Antarctica
Access Constraints:
None
Use Constraints:
None
Point of Contact:
Contact Information:
Contact Person Primary:
Contact Person: NSIDC User Services
Contact Organization: National Snow and Ice Data Center
Contact Address:
Address Type: mailing
Address:
- CIRES, 449 UCB
- University of Colorado
City: Boulder
State or Province: CO
Postal Code: 80309-0449
Country: USA
Contact Voice Telephone: 1 303 492-6199 x
Contact Facsimile Telephone: 1 303 492-2468 x
Contact Electronic Mail Address: nsidc@nsidc.org
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Distribution Information:
Distributor:
Contact Information:
Contact Organization Primary:
Contact Organization: National Snow and Ice Data Center
Contact Person: NSIDC User Services
Contact Address:
Address Type: mailing
Address:
- National Snow and Ice Data Center
- CIRES, 449 UCB
- University of Colorado
City: Boulder
State or Province: CO
Postal Code: 80309-0449
Country: USA
Contact Voice Telephone: 1 303 492-6199
Contact Facsimile Telephone: 1 303 492-2468
Contact Electronic Mail Address: nsidc@nsidc.org
Resource Description:
NSIDC-0283
Distribution Liability:
NSIDC cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NSIDC makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty.
Standard Order Process:
Digital Form:
Digital Transfer Information:
Format Name: ASCII Text
Digital Transfer Option:
Online Option:
Computer Contact Information:
Network Address:
Network Resource Name: Click here.
Fees: None
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Metadata Reference Information:
Metadata Date:
20130318
Metadata Review Date:
20130318
Metadata Contact:
Contact Information:
Contact Person Primary:
Contact Person: NSIDC User Services
Contact Organization: National Snow and Ice Data Center
Contact Address:
Address Type: mailing
Address:
- National Snow and Ice Data Center
- CIRES, 449 UCB
- University of Colorado
City: Boulder
State or Province: CO
Postal Code: 80309-0449
Country: USA
Contact Voice Telephone: 1 303 492-6199
Contact Facsimile Telephone: 1 303 492-2468
Contact Electronic Mail Address: nsidc@nsidc.org
Metadata Standard Name:
FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata:
Extensions for Remote Sensing Metadata
Metadata Standard Version:
FGDC-STD-012-2002
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