Syowa (Antarctica)
Syowa is located on East Ongul Island, Antarctica, which is 4 km apart westward from the Antarctic ice edge at the east side of Lutzow-Holm Bay (Figures 7.1.1.13 and 7.1.1.14). The station is situated north of East Ongul Island, and is deployed in an area with an east-west length of about 1.5 km and a north-south length of about 1 km. The main part of the station consists of a management building and residential building complex; the meteorological building is located about 100 m west of the management building. Surface ozone observations were made around the main part from January 1997, but the observation site moved about 300 m to the east of the main part in May 2008. Northeastern winds prevail at the station all year round; therefore, the effect of pollution is miniscule, except only for possible temporary anthropogenic pollution caused by station activities in summer. Table 7.1.1.5 lists the observation parameters and systems used at the station. Issues related to the observation of the ozone layer and UV radiation are discussed in Section 7.1.2.
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Fig. 7.1.1.13 Location map of Syowa station. |
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Fig. 7.1.1.14 Location view of Syowa station. |
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Table 7.1.1.5 Observation parameters, frequency and instruments at Syowa station. |
| Parameter | Start of observation | Frequency | Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| O3 | January 1997 | Continuous | UV Ozone Monitor Dylec Inc. MODEL1100 |
| Aerosol optical depth | January 1980 | Continuous | Sunphotometer EKO Instruments Co., Ltd. MS-110 |
Climatically, being far away from other continents, Syowa is not significantly affected by katabatic winds, is relatively warm (annual mean temperature: −10.5°C) compared to other stations in Antarctica, has relatively gentle wind (annual mean wind speed: 6.5 m/s), and is classified as being in the coastal weak wind zone. The station is located in the Antarctic Circle, and the nights start in late May, and the sun does not appear until mid July. The period of the midnight sun starts early November and ends in mid January. The highest temperature ever recorded is 10.0°C, and the lowest is −45.3°C. A developed low pressure system brings strong winds and snowfall as it is approaching, resulting in blizzards. There are about 27 blizzards annually with a total of over 51 blizzard days on average. The maximum wind speed and maximum instantaneous wind speed recorded are 47.4 m/s and 61.2 m/s, respectively; the number of days of snow annually is 191 days on average, with snowfalls throughout the year, with 10 or more days of snow monthly even during the midnight-sun months of November to January.
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Fig. 7.1.1.15 Daily mean, daily maximum and minimum temperatures at Syowa station in 2009. |
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Fig. 7.1.1.16 Monthly and annual wind roses at Syowa station in 2009. |
Ryori | Minamitorishima | Yonagunijima | Syowa | Ground-base Meteorological Observation