Abstract: Based on analysis of conventional meteorological parameters of sounding data above the South Pole in 2012, this study determined the boundary layer height above the South Pole throughout the entire year and used the Thorpe scale to estimate the refractive index structure constant profiles, atmospheric coherence length, seeing and isoplanatic angle. The seeing above and within the boundary layer and its integrated contribution to the entire layer (0–25 km) was compared with results in the literature. The comparison showed that the estimated profiles of decreased rapidly with height near the ground, decreased slowly above 300 m, presented a bulge after 5 km and decreased steadily after 10 km. Moreover, they were characterized by the fact that most of the turbulence was concentrated below 300 m. In winter above the South Pole, the Thorpe scale estimate of the average seeing and the seeing below 270 m was 1.87" and 0.39", respectively, consistent with the results of other studies. However, in comparison with other models, the estimates can be obtained more easily using the Thorpe scale.

Key words: atmospheric optics, Thorpe scale, turbulent profile, South Pole, seeing