July 17, 2007
12:00 PM UTX
Antarctica Winds (click for 24 hour loop)
Okay. This is interesting. The wind over Vostok is still. Vostok is the middle-east of Antarctica. There is no wind. There is also no wind over the Peninsula. That is unusual. It welcome.
What is interesting is the higher winds from 15 mph to an occassional 40 mph gusts now circulating around the outer reaches ON the continent. These are reflected in the reporting at Scott Base, Antarctica. What is also noted at Scott Base are warmer than 'usual' temperatures that has been noted in recent weeks. Scott Base is something like 9000 feet? Let me see.
Here is an interesting article regarding the 'phenomena' of an environmental reality of Ross Base which has varying elevations due to the status of 'island.' It won't explain everything but alludes to dynamics of air movement due to 'unique' conditions sometimes encountered in Antarctica. It's just an interesting article.
Surface airflow around Windless Bight, Ross Island, Antarctica (click here)
The elevation of the station is somewhere around 9000 feet because Mount Herschal is approximately 10,000 to 10,500, maybe a little more. I didn't find an official elevation for Ross Base. The scientists from New Zealand might not even consider publishing 'an official' elevation because they have a lot of field stations. They do a lot of research on that island. So, to get to my point. Any 'change' in heat capacity is going to occur at a lower altitude than Vostok. The heavier air over Vostok will not 'allow' through inertia the 'rising' of 'changing' temperatures due to the slow migration of Sol south.
Understand, Sol's rays are not 'over' Vostok yet. But, the 'heat' from the approaching sunlight is being 'felt' at the elvations lower than the 'peak' of the Ice Continent. Without 'direct' sunlight to raise temperatures the 'impinging' heat is limited to 'radiation' into stable and 'lazy/inert' air masses. So, it's extrapolated that Sol's heat although not direct is making it's presence known at lower elevations from Vostok, that are receiving that direct sunlight at higher 'latitudes' of Earth but now in the Southern Hemisphere. I hope I made that clear. It is my belief the current 'warmer' temperatures at the elevations of "Scott Base, Ross Island, Antarctica" is directly related to solar 'rays' at higher latitudes than Antarctica that is 'migrating/radiating' into some elevations of Antartica because of 'gentle' molecular heat transfer without the turbulence. I am sure I lost some interested folks here.
OFF TRACK as an example. A old style radiator where hot water heats the radiator 'causes' the entire room to heat because of 'radiation' due to molecular 'irritation.' One molecule of air heats and transfers that heat to the next and then to the next. The 'volume' of heat from Sol under a thick carbon dioxide blanket is trapped and is moved through the troposphere in the same mechanism. I believe the warmer temperatures and higher winds without 'affect of the upper troposphere' are due to this 'radiation' of heat from higher latitudes. I think that is clearer.
Point of Reference :: Conversion tables to understand the velocity of the wind at the Scott Base reference. The "Kiwis" report the wind in 'knots.' Click here for some 'handy' conversion computers. The Current Reporting of Scott Base, Ross Island is 17.4 knots, that is equated to 32 km/hr or 20 mph. There ya go. Best I can do. Good luck.
July 17, 2007
0600 gmt
Antarctica Jet Stream
"I told you so." Do I have to explain this? Vostok is cold because of...WHAT? Yes, cold air, but, ALSO, inertia of the Jet Stream. The coldest of the cold air is not moving anywhere else and we are witnessing some profoundly sincere freezing of glacial ice that is more precious than gold. The 'homogenous' temperatures of 'the coastal' Antarctica is because the Jet Stream is 'quiet' and there is no transcending of turbulence to the surface/lower elevations.
July 17, 2007
12:00 PM
Antarctica Temperature Satellite
The temperature is getting warmer. It's uniform, still cold, but, NOT AS COLD as it has been. Oh, my. Sol is making the trip south. The center of the continent, where the 3 mile high ice exists is still as cold as last week.
Yo, babe, there are cold toes in Vostok today. I have not seen these temperatures ANYWHERE in Antarctica in years. Holy smokes. It's going to be interesting to see what it going on with the jet stream over this continent of ice.
Vostok, Antarctica
Time ::00 PM VOST
Elevation :: 11220 ft / 3420 m
Temperature :: -101 °F / -74 °C
Conditions :: Not stated
Humidity :: 48% (Kindly note, the humidity is lower than usual. Too cold to be anything but ice.)
Dew Point :: -105 °F / -76 °C
Wind :: 2 mph / 4 km/h / from the ESE
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: in / hPa (Falling)
Visibility :: 12.0 miles / 20.0 kilometers
Raw METAR
Aviation
Flight Rule :: VFR ()
Wind Speed :: 2 mph / 4 km/h /
Wind Dir :: 120° (ESE)
Ceiling :: 100000 ft / 100000 m
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica
Elevation :: 9285 ft / 2830 m
Temperature :: -68 °F / -56 °C
Conditions :: Snow
Wind :: 16 mph / 26 km/h / from the ESE
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: in / hPa (Falling)
Visibility :: 4.0 miles / 6.0 kilometers
Clouds :: Few 8858 ft / 2700 m
(Above Ground Level)
Clean Air, Antarctica
Time :: 11:50 PM NZST
Temperature :: -69 °F / -56 °C
Conditions :: Ice Crystals Blowing Snow
Humidity :: N/A%
Pressure :: 28.71 in / 972 hPa
Winds :: ESE at 16 mph / 26 km/h / 7.2 m/s
Length Of Visible Light:
0h 00m :: Length of Day
0h 00m :: Tomorrow will be 0m 0s shorter.
Warmest reporting stations of Antarctica
Dumont D'Urville, Antarctica
Time :: 12:00 PM GMT
Elevation :: 135 ft / 41 m
Temperature :: 17 °F / -8 °C
Conditions :: Blowing Snow
Humidity :: 98%
Dew Point :: 17 °F / -8 °C
Wind :: 43 mph / 68 km/h / from the SE
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: 29.35 in / 994 hPa (Falling)
Visibility :: 1.0 miles / 2.0 kilometers
Clouds:
Mostly Cloudy 4921 ft / 1500 m
(Above Ground Level)
Raw METAR
Aviation
Flight Rule :: IFR ()
Wind Speed :: 43 mph / 68 km/h /
Wind Dir :: 130° (SE)
Ceiling :: 4900 ft / 1500 m
Palmer Station, Antarctica
Time :: 8:00 AM CLT
Elevation :: 26 ft / 8 m
Temperature :: 16 °F / -9 °C
Conditions :: Snow
Humidity :: 72%
Dew Point :: 11 °F / -12 °C
Wind :: 7 mph / 11 km/h / from the East
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: 29.70 in / 1006 hPa (Falling)
Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.0 kilometers
Raw METAR
Aviation Flight Rule :: VFR ()
Wind Speed :: 7 mph / 11 km/h /
Wind Dir :: 80° (East)
Ceiling :: 100000 ft / 100000 m
end
