Since November of 2006, 12 thermistors were planted in the upper 16 meters of the firn on the Ross Ice Shelf near its calving front. Temperature data are collected every 20 minutes and are transmitted via ARGOS satellite relay. Data are intended to provide a view of how firn temperatures change as the ice shelf evolves. Data are available in comma-delimited ASCII format. Data are available via FTP.
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Ross Ice Shelf Firn Temperature, Antarctica, Version 1
Geographic Coverage
Spatial Coverage: |
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Spatial Resolution: | Not Specified |
Temporal Coverage: |
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Temporal Resolution: | Not specified |
Parameter(s): |
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Platform(s) | FIELD INVESTIGATION, FIELD SURVEYS |
Sensor(s): | TEMPERATURE LOGGERS, TEMPERATURE PROFILERS, TEMPERATURE SENSORS |
Data Format(s): |
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Version: | V1 |
Data Contributor(s): | Douglas MacAyeal, Olga Sergienko, Ted Scambos, Atsu Muto |
Metadata XML: | View Metadata Record |
Data Citation
As a condition of using these data, you must cite the use of this data set using the following citation. For more information, see our Use and Copyright Web page.
MacAyeal, D. R., O. Sergienko, T. Scambos, and A. Muto. 2008. Ross Ice Shelf Firn Temperature, Antarctica, Version 1. [Indicate subset used]. Boulder, Colorado USA. NSIDC: National Snow and Ice Data Center. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7265/N5BP00Q3. [Date Accessed].Detailed Data Description
comma delimited ASCII text
Data are available on the FTP site in the ftp://sidads.colorado.edu/pub/DATASETS/AGDC/macayeal_nsidc_0354/ directory.
Files are named according to the following convention and as described in Table X:
.txt
where:
Variable | Description |
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.txt | comma delimited ASCII text |
2 Megabytes (MB)
Daily averages
Parameters include iceberg drift, iceberg latitude and longitude, iceberg weather (AWS),
ice shelf motion, ice shelf surface temperature, ice shelf weather, iceberg snow accumulation
Sample Data Record
Year, Month, Day, Hour, Minute, Second,Temperatures at 12 depths starting with the shallowest (check by seeing which has more variability due to surface temperature fluctuation).
Software and Tools
Data Acquisition and Processing
Firn Temperature Data from near the calving front of the Ross Ice Shelf (at an AWS/GPS station called "Nascent Iceberg"). Data are accurate to at least 0.1 degree Centigrade, and are in degrees Centigrade. Vertical spacing was maintained by placing the sensors in a PVC pipe that was threaded down a 16 meter bore hole in the firn surface.
Sensors used are 1000-Ohm Platinum RTDs (Resistance Temperature Detectors), manufactured by Honeywell, model number HEL-705-T-0-12-00. Temperature measurements are made using 4-wire half-bridge on a CR10X data logger (Campbell Scientific). Data are recorded once each hour and transmitted through ARGOS telemetry system. The standard uncertainty of temperature measurements is considered no worse than 0.05 degrees Celsius.
References and Related Publications
Contacts and Acknowledgments
Douglas MacAyeal
Department of Geophysical Sciences
University of Chicago
5734 S. Ellis Ave.
HGS 413
Chicago, Illinois 60637 USA
Olga Sergienko
Department of Geology
Portland State University
Portlan, Oregon, 97201 USA
Ted Scambos
National Snow and Ice Data Center
University of Colorado
CIRES 449 UCB
Boulder,Colorado 80309 USA
Atsu Muto
National Snow and Ice Data Center
University of Colorado
CIRES 449 UCB
Boulder,Colorado 80309 USA
This research was supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs (OPP) grant 0229546 awarded to D. MacAyeal.
Document Information
DOCUMENT CREATION DATE
December 2008
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