Antarctic Precipitation Gridded Data from Dynamic Retrieval

Dynamic retrieval calculations capture more mesoscale features of Antarctic precipitation distribution compared to standard reanalysis models. The dataset provides gridded precipitation data for Antarctica from 1979 to 1999, generated by the Polar Meteorology Group at the Byrd Polar Research Center. It uses a 40-km horizontal grid resolution and 22 vertical sigma levels.

Use Cases

• Analyze interannual variability of precipitation at glaciological measurement sites across Antarctica.
• Compare precipitation amounts from dynamic retrieval results against ERA-15 and NCEP reanalysis forecasts.
• Model the spatial distribution of Antarctic accumulation using the 40-km grid data.
• Investigate the reported upward trend of +1.2 to +1.7 mm yr-2 in Antarctic precipitation.
• Validate topography-dependent precipitation patterns using the 5-km resolution digital elevation model interpolations.

Strengths

• Covers a 21-year time range from 1979 to 1999.
• Uses a high-resolution 40-km horizontal grid over a domain of 181x181 points.
• Method validated for the Greenland ice sheet and compared against multiple reanalysis sources.

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, ending in 1999 and lacking recent decades.
• Specific row count, file formats, and sample data are unavailable for assessment.
• Access requires contacting the author via email, indicating no direct download.

Provenance

Source

Polar Meteorology Group, Byrd Polar Research Center

Collection Method

Precipitation retrieved via vertical motion calculation using ECMWF operational analyses (ECT) and reanalysis (ERA-15).

Time Range

1979-1999

Geography

Antarctica, centered at the South Pole