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Meteorological Society of NZ -- Wellington Branch

Southern Excursions:
An Investigation of the Holocene Climate of
Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica

During November/December 2000 researchers from the School of Earth
Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, spent 6 to 8 weeks
undertaking
field work in Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica as part of an
ongoing
study of the regions weather and climate. Fieldwork included
monitoring
local meteorological conditions with the deployment of an automatic
weather
station on the Victoria Lower Glacier, as well as the excavation of
5m snow
pits. Snow and ice samples collected from the snow pits are
undergoing
isotope analysis to enable the reconstruction of the regions climate
including its temperature and precipitation regimes. Regional wind
field
characteristics and larger scale synoptic circulation patterns are
also
being reconstructed with the aid of aerosol samples (dust) retrieved
from
the snow pack.

The presentation by three post-graduate students from the School of
Earth
Sciences will discuss some of the challenges and rewards of
undertaking
such fieldwork in Antarctica, as well as some of their initial
results.

Time: 2:00 pm,
Date: Tuesday 8 May
Venue: 1st Floor, MetService Building, 30 Salamanca Road Kelburn

All welcome.