The annual cycle of meteorological variables and the surface energy balance on Berkner Island, Antarctica

In February 1995 an automatic weather station (AWS) was placed on Thyssen Hohe, the south dome of Berkner Island, Antarctica. A fairly complete 3 year meteorological dataset of hourly average data was obtained. The mean annual temperature is about -24 degrees C. The annual mass balance is about + 180 mm we. Summer temperatures stay below 0 degrees C, which implies that no melt takes place. Because the AWS is located on a dome, katabatic winds are not active, the wind direction is variable (directional constancy 0.38) and the wind speed relatively low (4.5 m s(-1)). Annual average variables are compared with data from Recovery Glacier AWS and Halley station. The measurements are used to evaluate the surface energy fluxes for the 3 year period by using a surface energy-balance model. The annual average gain of energy from the sensible-heat flux (+10.8 W m(-2)) is balanced by a negative net radiative flux (-9.1 W m(-2)) and a small negative latent-heat flux (-1.7 W m(-2)). The annual subsurface flux is small.