Meterologoical mast at Kapp Lee

Four atmospheric sensors have been logging wind speed and direction, temperature and humidity for a number of years on the hill above the cabins at Kapp Lee. We now have a multi year time series for conditions in Storfjorden. Future plans to improve the mast icorporate building a GSM link, and adding another level of sensors, as well as adding new instruments.

Four atmospheric sensors from Aanderaa Instruments, Bergen, Norway were set to log every 3 h on a mast on the hill above the cabins in position 78.082230˚N and 20.80945˚E. The mast is about 10 m high and was selected as a good and representative place to record wind speed and direction, temperature and humidity. The sensors were placed 7.3 m above ground, safely out of reach for curious polar bears.We now have a multi year time series for conditions in Storfjorden. The minimum temperature at Kapp Lee during the winter 2004/2005 was -21 ˚C, and the mean temperature for the period was -7.1˚C. Large fluctuations in temperature happen throughout the winter, and jumps between 0˚C and -15˚C were quite common. The temperature distribution have two peaks, one close to -13˚C and one close to -2˚C. This points to two regimes in the air properties, marine air close to the surface freezing point of the ocean, and colder air presumably from the ice covered areas to the north. This is clearly indicated in the figure below, showing primarily northerly winds for air temparatures below -5˚C.

Otherwise one can use a balloon to get atmospheric measurements; windspeed and direction, temperature, preassure and humidity. (Photo Anna Sjöblom, UNIS)