Antarctic atmospheric boundary layer observations with the Small Unmanned Meteorological Observer (SUMO)

During six Antarctic field campaigns, 116 SUMO flights were completed. These flights took place during all seasons over both permanent ice and ice-free locations on the Antarctic continent and over sea ice in the western Ross Sea.

Sampling was completed during spiral ascent and descent flight paths that observed the temperature, humidity, pressure and wind up to 1000m above ground level and sampled the entire depth of the atmospheric boundary layer, as well as portions of the free atmosphere above the boundary layer. A wide variety of boundary layer states were observed, including very shallow, strongly stable conditions during the Antarctic winter and deep, convective conditions over ice-free locations in the summer.