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Temporal variability of ground thermal regimes on the northern buttress of the Vesleskarvet nunatak, western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 October 2016

Camilla Kotzé  and
Ian Meiklejohn
Camilla Kotzé*
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, Rhodes University, 6140 Grahamstown, South Africa
Ian Meiklejohn
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, Rhodes University, 6140 Grahamstown, South Africa
*
camilla.kotze@yahoo.com
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Abstract

The ground temperature down to 60 cm depth in western Dronning Maud Land (WDML), has been recorded since 2009. The study area is situated in a blockfield that comprises a shallow active layer above permafrost. Using ground thermal regimes and regional climate data, the temporal (seasonal and annual) variability of the active layer was characterized. Active layer depth was calculated for each site for five consecutive summers from 2009/10–2013/14, showing interannual variability with no overall trends of decreasing or increasing active layer depth. Particular attention was paid to 2010 as it matched the average for the ground thermal regimes over the six year study period, as well as the interpolation period used by Meteonorm®. Analysis showed significant synchronous relationships of ground thermal regimes with air temperature and incoming radiation. Moreover, a correlation between pressure and measured ground temperature during the transitional season of the Southern Annual Oscillation in May and September was identified.

Keywords

active layer depthair temperaturenear-surface temperaturepressureradiationseasonal
Type
Earth Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 29 , Issue 1 , February 2017 , pp. 73 - 81
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Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 2016 

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