BOOK SERIES: Antarctic Research Series Vol.70
DATE: 1996
SECTION: HABITAT REGION, pp.105-121
TITLE: SURFACE AIR TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS IN THE WESTERN ANTARCTIC PENINSULA REGION
AUTHORS: R.C.Smith, S.E.Stammerjohn, and K.S.Baker
ABSTRACT
Surface air temperature records from several Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) stations are examined. The annual progression of surface air temperatures show an along-peninsula gradient indicative of a contrasting influence of maritime versus continental climatic regimes. WAP temperature records also show a significant warming trend in mid-winter temperatures, with an increase of 4-5\(deC over the past half-century (1944-1991). Increased temperature variability in fall and winter is linked to the high interannual variability of sea ice coverage. Linear regression analysis shows a significant (99.9%) anticorrelation between air temperature and sea ice extent, even after accounting for serial correlation in the two time series. There are distinct seasonal lead/lag relationships between temperature and sea ice in this region, which underscore the complexity of polar feedback mechanisms. The more than 45 year Faraday air temperature record shows a significant (95% confidence level) correlation with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and coherences between both temperature and sea ice with the SOI suggest teleconnections between the WAP and lower latitudes. Because sea ice-temperature-SOI relationships appear to be strongly linked in the WAP region, the WAP is an ideal area to study ecological responses to the significant trends and relatively large interannual variability.
Return to "LTER Palmer Station"
Return to CRSEO, UCSB: Home Page