The observations of the stable oxygen isotope composition δ of precipitation at the coastal Syowa station for 1974, which are reported and analyzed by Kato (1977, 1978), are reassessed on a monthly time scale. The relationship between oxygen isotope ratio and temperature is examined in detail. The mean temperature of the preceding month, rather than the temperature at the time of sample collection, has the best association with monthly averaged δ. This one-month lagged relationship suggests the strong influence of sea ice which is related to the average temperature in the same fashion. Linear regression analyses, using monthly variations of Antarctic seaice extent for 1974, as reported by Zwally and others (1979), reveal the following interrelationships which provide good support for the contention that sea-ice extent is a dominant factor for δ values in coastal Antarctic precipitation: For August 1974 the δ values are persistently less than those predicted by sea-ice area. Over the Southern Ocean, the zonal circulation in August was weak in comparison to the 1972–79 average. It is hypothesized that this anomalous circulation resulted in the source region of moisture precipitated at Syowa being located substantially farther north.

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