Scientific Motivation for the Ross Island Meteorology Experiment (RIME)

This report is a product of the Ross Island Meteorology Experiment (RIME) Science and Planning Workshop held at the Byrd Polar Research Center on September 11-13, 2001. Given the unique and important role of Antarctica in the global climate system, it seems essential that a comprehensive program be established with the long-term goal of documenting climate change and ultimately understanding broad scale impacts. Prerequisite to actual global change programs, detailed atmospheric process studies must be conducted to examine the interaction between the local climate components. Given the documented global importance of the Ross Sea Sector on synoptic and longer time scales and the extensive logistical support in place, it seems logical to conduct an intensive study in this region of Antarctica. The proposed study and the scientific rationale for the program is detailed in this report.U.S. National Science Foundtaion Grant OPP-013203