Weather affects research

Press, 24 September 1988, Page 6

Weather affects research

By

CHRISTOPHER MOORE

Unusually warm temperatures at Scott Base, Antarctica, could affect some of New Zealand’s scientific research programmes during the 1988-89 summer season. Warmer temperatures and windier conditions have caused less sea ice than normal, threatening to disrupt planned projects by New Zealand research tCcirris Scott Base also reported warmer, cloudier, and windier conditions last month. The average August temperature at Scott Base was almost 10 degrees higher than normal and four degrees higher than the previous highest average figure for August. .

The average temperature of minus 20.7 degrees celsius beat the previous highest temperature of minus 25 degrees recorded at Scott Base in 1974. During the past 31 years, the average August temperature was minus 31 degrees Celsius. During eight days last month, the maximum temperature was higher than minus 10 degrees, an “extraordinary” situation, according to the superintendent of reporting services for the New Zealand meteorological service, Mr John Falconer. The extreme maximum temperature recorded on August 30 was minus 4.3 degrees celsius. Nothing significant could be read into the August weather statistics at this stage, Mr Falconer said.