Chinese Journal of Polar Research

ADVANCES IN POLAR SCIENCE

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A mobile polar atmospheric parameter measurement system: II. First atmospheric turbulence observation at Antarctic Taishan Station

TIAN Qiguo1, JIANG Peng1,2 *, WU Xiaoqing3, JIN Xinmiao1, LU Shan2, JI Tuo1, CHAI Bo1, ZHANG Shaohua1 & ZHOU Hongyan1, 2   

  1. 1 Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai 200136, China;
    2 Key Laboratory for Research in Galaxies and Cosmology, Department of Astronomy, University of Science and Technology of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230026, China;
    3 Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Composition and Optical Radiation, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
  • Online:1965-06-30 Published:1965-06-30
  • Contact: JIANG Peng

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Abstract: This is the second paper of a series devoted to atmospheric optical turbulence Cn2 observation using a mobile polar atmospheric parameter measurement system. We present the initial results of Cn2 measurement at Antarctic Taishan Station using micro-thermal sensors and a three-dimensional sonic anemometer at height ~2.0 m above the snow surface. The site testing experiments were carried out during the 30th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition  (CHINARE). We collected about 1 000 h of data between 30 December 2013 and 10 February 2014. The Cn2 curve exhibits clear daily structures, with two peaks around midnight and midday and two troughs around 7:30 and 17:00 local time (UTC+5). The mean Cn2 is 2.7×10−15 m−2/3 and the 25th and 75th percentiles of the Cn2 cumulative distribution are 9.6×10−16 m−2/3 and 6.2×10−15 m−2/3, respectively. Meteorological parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and air pressure are also presented.

Key words: micro-thermal sensors, three-dimensional sonic anemometer, turbulence, site testing, Antarctic Plateau, Kunlun Station, Taishan Station