Soil Temperatures Over a Latitudinal Gradient in the Ross Sea Region of Antarctica: Preliminary Results

摘要

There is interest in the Antarctic climate and its relationship and response to global climate drivers. Antarctica contains 90% of the world's ice and exerts an influence on the global atmospheric and cryospheric systems, suggesting that any change in the Antarctic climate may have far-reaching consequences [Viera et al. 2010]. In 2007 The International Panel for Climate Change (IPCC 2007) predicted that by 2099 global temperatures could increase by as little as 1.1°C or as much as 6.4°C. Global temperature increase is predicted to be magnified in the polar regions as snow and ice melts, reducing ground surface albedo, and increasing solar radiation absorption thereby exacerbating the heating process [Kane, Hinzman & Zarling 1991]. It is important to understand how the mechanisms of the Antarctic climate and subsurface thermal characteristics vary both spatially and temporally before trying to predict how the whole system will respond to global climate change. Longer records and more observations are needed to properly show any trends in inter-annual air and soil temperatures [Guglielmin et al. 2011].