Changes in extreme temperature indices at the Ukrainian Antarctic Akademik Vernadsky station, 1951-2020

Abstract

In the late 20 th century, warming on the Antarctic Peninsula was most pronounced compared to other parts of Antarctica. However, air temperature showed a significant variability, which has become especially evident in recent decades. Thus, the investigation of air temperature trends on the Antarctic Peninsula is important. This study examines the extreme air temperature at the Ukrainian Antarctic Akademik Vernadsky station, located on Galindez Island, Argentine Islands Archipelago, near the Antarctic Peninsula. For 1951 to 2020, based on the daily air temperature data, the temporal trends of extreme air temperature were analyzed, using 11 extreme temperature indices. Based on linear trend analysis and the Mann-Kendall trend test, the TXn, TNn, TN90p, and TN90p indices showed an upward trend, whereas theFD0, ID0, TN10p, TX10p, and DTR indices showed a downward trend. Among them, annually, FD0, ID0, and TN10p significantly decreased by -0.427 days, -0.452 days, and -0.465%, respectively, whereas TXn and TNn increased by 0.164℃ and 0.201℃, respectively. The indices TXx and TNn showed no statistically significant trends. The average annual difference between TX and TN (index DTR) showed a nonsignificant decreasing trend at -0.029℃ year -1 . Thus, for the period of 1951-2020, the Ukrainian Antarctic Akademik Vernadsky station was subjected to warming.

Estimation of tendencies, homogeneity and stationarity of air temperature at the Ukrainian Antarctic Akademik Vernadsky station during 1951—2020

“…For the period 1951-2020 on the Akademik Vernadsky station January was the warmest month of the year with a multiannual mean monthly temperature +0.8 °C, August was the coldest month of the year with a multi-annual mean monthly temperature -8.7 °C. In the February was observed the highest mean monthly air temperature is +2.4 °C and in the July was observed the lowest mean monthly air temperature is -20.1 °C [Khrystiuk et al, 2022].…”