A camera and multisensor automated station design for polar physical and biological systems monitoring: AMIGOS

Abstract

The Automated Meteorology–Ice/Indigenous species–Geophysics Observation System (AMIGOS) consists of a set of measurement instruments and camera(s) controlled by a single-board computer with a simplified Linux operating system and an Iridium satellite modem supporting two-way communication. Primary features of the system relevant to polar operations are low power requirements, daily data uploading, reprogramming, tolerance for low temperatures, and various approaches for automatic resets and recovery from low power or cold shutdown. Instruments include a compact weather station, single- or dual-frequency GPS, solar flux and reflectivity sensors, sonic snow gauges, simplified radio-echo sounder, and resistance thermometer string in the firn column. In the current state of development, there are two basic designs. One is intended for in situ observations of glacier conditions. The other supports a high-resolution camera for monitoring biological or geophysical systems from short distances (100 m to 20 km). The stations have been successfully used in several locations for operational support, monitoring rapid ice changes in response to climate change or iceberg drift, and monitoring penguin colony activity. As of August 2012, there are nine AMIGOS systems installed, all on the Antarctic continent or in the surrounding ocean.

Foehn winds link climate‐driven warming to ice shelf evolution in Antarctica

“…Regardless, these melt observations are also qualitatively similar to ice sheet densification patterns observed over the Larsen B and northern Larsen C [ Holland et al , ], a process resulting from repeated surface melt and percolation leading to decreases in air content, which is thought to have contributed to the destabilization of the ice shelf. The densification process was recently observed over the remnant Larsen B during a foehn event, with firn temperature measurements collected by the SCAR Inlet AMIGOS showing significant surface warming outliving the end of the wind event and percolation of melt to 1 m depth [ Scambos et al , ], along with extensive ablation of the surface snow cover due to melt, evaporation, and sublimation. The densification hypothesis is also supported by the transition between regular annual bands of snow‐firn and ice and a near‐surface region of amalgamated ice observed in the frontal ice shelf stratigraphy prior to the collapse (Figure c).…”

“…Automated weather stations installed as components of Automated Meteorology‐Ice/Indigenous species‐Geophysics Observation System (AMIGOS) [ Scambos et al , ] and continuously recording GPS (cGPS) [ Nield et al , ] systems further extended in situ observations around the Larsen B embayment between January 2010 and January 2013. Installed at sites surrounding and overlooking the Larsen B embayment as part of the LARISSA (LARsen Ice Shelf System, Antarctica; http://www.hamilton.edu/expeditions/larissa) project (Figure and Table ), these sensors collect data hourly and provide a spatial context for weather patterns and dynamics in this region.…”

Ice loss processes in the Seal Nunataks ice shelf region from satellite altimetry and imagery

“…The linearity of our observed SNIS changes using ICESat campaigns, at periods out of phase with seasonality, suggest that seasonal variations must be small. Moreover, a six-season observational record on the SIIS and four-season record on Cape Disappointment from Automated Meteorology–Ice/Indigenous species–Geophysics Observation Systems, AMIGOS (Scambos and others, 2013) have never indicated a snowfall event of 10 cm snow height, and show that the seasonal elevation variation in the region is not more than 20 cm. AMIGOS-related field work by one of us (TAS) and an analysis of elevation and thickness data on SNIS, Larsen B and SIIS (Holland and others, 2011) documents that the ‘firn’ in this area is ice.…”

Hydroacoustic, Meteorologic and Seismic Observations of the 2016 Nansen Ice Shelf Calving Event and Iceberg Formation

“…To provide perspective on this apparent temporal discrepancy between the acoustic energy peak and satellite observed calving event, we reviewed the wind speeds, wind directions, barometric pressures, and air temperatures recorded for the region near the NIS in the western Ross Sea (Figures 5A-C). This meteorological data was collected by a Vaisala WXT52 TM weather station incorporated into an autonomous observation system located near the Jang Bogo station ( Figure 1A; Scambos et al, 2013). The meteorological data shows that on April 7, the day iceberg C33 calved and flowed away from the NIS, the highest winds and the largest low atmospheric-pressure system recorded in the previous 7 months passed over the area (Figure 5A).…”