Ground-based observations of cloud properties, precipitation and meteorological conditions at Princess Elisabeth station in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

Abstract

To understand the current and future evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet, a good knowledge of the surface mass balance is essential. Regional climate models have proven to be suitable tools for this purpose, but only if they realistically represent the meteorological conditions in the region of interest. It is important to evaluate not only the net accumulation in the models, but also the processes leading to precipitation. Clouds are of importance both for precipitation formation and for the surface radiative budget. As there is a lack of data on the clouds and precipitation processes in the Antarctic, the first goal of our project is to establish a new database that can be used for an in-depth model evaluation.