About South Pole

Site Information

South Pole Photos

South Pole Ozone

South Pole Links

Data

GMD Site Description: SPO
South Pole, Antarctica, United States [SPO]

Location

  • Country: United States Country Flag
  • Latitude: 89.98° South
  • Longitude: 24.8° West
  • Elevation: 2810.00 masl
  • Time Zone: Local Time + -12 hour(s) = UTC

Contact

  • Contact Name: NOAA
  • Address: NOAA/ ESRL Project S-257-0
    South Pole Station
    PSC 468 Box 400, APO AP, 96598-5400, Antarctica
  • Phone: (303) 497-6655
  • Fax: (303) 497-5590

Data

Cooperating Agencies

  • National Science Foundation

Description
The South Pole Observatory (SPO) is one of the six atmospheric baseline observatories for NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL). The South Pole Observatory was established at the geographical south pole at 2837 m above sea level in 1957 as part of the International Geophysical Year. The National Science Foundation provides the infrastructure for the NOAA/ESRL/GMD scientific operations including a state of the art science building named the Atmospheric Research Observatory opened in 1996. Two ESRL observatory staff spend one year tours of duty at the station which includes a 9 month period of isolation and six months of darkness. The Atmospheric Research Observatory (ARO) was built by NSF in 1997 to house current atmospheric research and replaced NOAA's Clean Air Facility in operation from 1977 to 1997. Atmospheric data has been collected from South Pole since the International Geophysical Year (IGY), 1957 - 1958.

GMD Projects at South Pole, Antarctica

Carbon Cycle Surface Flasks

Parameter Formula First Sample Date Most Recent Sample Date
Carbon Dioxide CO2 1975-02-09 Ongoing
Methane CH4 1983-02-20 Ongoing
Carbon Monoxide CO 1993-04-01 Ongoing
Molecular Hydrogen H2 1993-04-01 Ongoing
Nitrous Oxide N2O 1997-01-16 Ongoing
Sulfur Hexafluoride SF6 1997-01-16 Ongoing
Carbon-13/Carbon-12 in Carbon Dioxide d13C (CO2) 1993-03-28 Ongoing
Oxygen-18/Oxygen-16 in Carbon Dioxide d18O (CO2) 1993-03-28 Ongoing
Carbon-13/Carbon-12 in Methane d13C (CH4) 1998-01-01 Ongoing
D/H in Methane dD (CH4) 2005-02-11 Ongoing
Methyl Chloride CH3Cl 2005-01-28 Ongoing
Benzene C6H6 2006-11-22 Ongoing
toluene C7H8 2006-12-01 Ongoing
ethane C2H6 2005-02-11 Ongoing
ethene C2H4 2005-01-28 Ongoing
propane C3H8 2005-01-28 Ongoing
propene C3H6 2005-01-28 Ongoing
i-butane i-C4H10 2005-04-01 Ongoing
n-butane n-C4H10 2005-02-15 Ongoing
i-pentane i-C5H12 2005-03-04 Ongoing
n-pentane n-C5H12 2005-01-28 Ongoing
n-hexane n-C6H14 2005-01-28 Ongoing
wind speed 1992-01-16 Ongoing
wind direction 1992-01-16 Ongoing
isoprene C5H8 2006-11-22 Ongoing

Carbon Cycle In Situ Observatory

Parameter Formula First Sample Date Most Recent Sample Date
Carbon Dioxide CO2 1975-11-25 Ongoing

HATS Flask Sampling

HATS In Situ Observatory

Parameter Formula First Sample Date Most Recent Sample Date
Nitrous Oxide N2O 1998-01-30 Ongoing
Sulfur Hexafluoride SF6 1998-01-30 Ongoing
HCFC-22 CHF2Cl 1998-01-30 Ongoing
CFC-12 CCl2F2 1998-01-30 Ongoing
Methyl Chloride CH3Cl 1999-07-02 Ongoing
HCFC-142b CH3CF2Cl 1998-01-30 Ongoing
Halon-1211 CBrClF2 1998-01-30 Ongoing
CFC-113 CCl2FCClF2 1998-01-30 Ongoing
carbon tetrachloride CCl4 1998-01-30 Ongoing
Methyl Chloroform CH3CCl3 1998-01-30 Ongoing
CFC-11 CCl3F 1998-01-30 Ongoing

Aerosol Surface, Continuous Measurements

Parameter Formula First Sample Date Most Recent Sample Date
Light Scattering Coefficient σsp 1979-01-01 Ongoing
Particle Number Concentration Nt 1974-01-01 Ongoing

Radiation In-Situ Observatory

Parameter Formula First Sample Date Most Recent Sample Date
Direct Beam 1976-01-01 Ongoing
Shortwave Global 1976-01-01 Ongoing
Diffuse 1995-11-10 Ongoing
Reflected Shortwave 1985-01-01 Ongoing
Downward Longwave 1993-11-21 Ongoing
Upward Longwave 1993-11-21 Ongoing

Surface Ozone

Parameter Formula First Sample Date Most Recent Sample Date
Ozone O3 1975-01-23 Ongoing

Dobson Total Ozone

Parameter Formula First Sample Date Most Recent Sample Date
Ozone O3 1963-12-04 Ongoing

Ozonesonde

Trajectories

Lidar

Meteorology

Parameter Formula First Sample Date Most Recent Sample Date
Wind speed 2 meters 2008-01-01 Ongoing
Wind Direction 2 Meters 2008-01-01 Ongoing
Wind Speed 10 Meters 2008-01-01 Ongoing
Wind Direction 10 Meters 2008-01-01 Ongoing
Wind Speed Top 2008-01-01 Ongoing
Wind Direction Top 2008-01-01 Ongoing
Barometric Pressure 2008-01-01 Ongoing
Relative Humidity 2 Meters 2008-01-01 Ongoing
Temperature 2 Meters 2008-01-01 Ongoing
Temperature 10 Meters 2008-01-01 Ongoing
temperature Top 2008-01-01 Ongoing

Antarctic UV