2003: Trends of air temperature of the Antarctic during the period 19582000

ABSTRACT: The paper presents the trends of air temperature of the Antarctic. In its elabo− ration 21 stations were taken into consideration carrying out temperature measurements in the years 1958–2000, and 34 stations in the years 1981–2000. After checking the homoge− neity of the series by the Alexandersson’s (1986) test we found that at 16 stations the homo− geneity has been broken. On the basis of the corrected measurement series we have deter− mined the trends in air temperature. In the period 1958–2000 statistically significant (on 0.95 significance level) temperature increases occurred on the western coast of the Antarc− tic Peninsula (for example Faraday 0.67°C/10 years) and at the Belgrano and McMurdo sta− tions. The greatest temperature rise was noted on the Antarctic Peninsula during the au− tumn−winter period. On the South Pole a negative trend in air temperature (–0.21°C) oc− curred, especially in the summer season. During recent years (1981–2000) significant changes took place in the air temperature tendencies in the Antarctic. In many regions of the Antarctic cooling began and on the cost of East Antarctica the temperature decreased by –0.82°C/10 years (Casey). In the interior of the continent also lower and lower temperatures occurred (Amundsen−Scott –0.42°C/10 years, Dome C –0.71°C/10 years). The coast of the Weddell Sea is getting colder (Halley –1.13°C/10 years, Larsen Ice –0.89°C/10 years). An increase in temperature was observed in the interior of West Antarctica (Byrd 0.37°C/10 years). The warming rate of the climate became weaker on the Antarctic Peninsula (Fara− day 0.56°C/10 years). The largest temperature changes occurred in the autumn−winter sea− son when in the Antarctic Peninsula region the temperature increased, while in the interior and at the coast of East Antarctica temperatures fell considerably. Key words: Antarctica, trends in air temperature