Collaborative Research: Antarctic Automatic Weather Station Program

Its prime focus as a long term observational record is vital to the measurement of the near surface climatology of the Antarctic atmosphere. AWS units measure air-temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction at a nominal surface height of 3m.

Other parameters such as relative humidity and snow accumulation may also be taken. Observational data from the AWS are collected via the DCS Argos system aboard either NOAA or MetOp polar orbiting satellites and thus made available globally, in near real time via the GTS (Global Telecommunications System), to operational and synoptic weather forecasters. The surface observations from the AWS network also are often used to check on satellite and remote sensing observations, and the simulations of Global Climate Models (GCMs).