Monthly Electricity Usage at Four Australian Antarctic Stations

Australian Antarctic Data Centre data records monthly electricity consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh) at Casey, Davis, Mawson, and Macquarie Island stations. The dataset covers 23 years, from January 1993 to February 2016. Measurements were reported by Station Plant Inspectors to the head office mechanical supervisor.

Use Cases

• Analyze seasonal electricity consumption trends by station and month to understand operational energy demands in Antarctica.
• Correlate electricity usage data with linked indicators like monthly fuel usage (SOE Indicator 56) to calculate generator efficiency over time.
• Model the pressure indicator of environmental impact by linking station electricity usage to estimated fuel consumption and emissions.
• Compare energy usage patterns across the four distinct station locations (latitudes and longitudes provided) to identify site-specific factors.

Strengths

• Covers a long temporal range of 23 years (1993-2016).
• Provides data for four distinct geographic stations with precise coordinates.
• Data is collected via direct gauge readings, providing a foundation for measurement.

Limitations

• Data collection ended in February 2016, making it temporally stale for current analysis.
• Specific row counts, column details, and sample data are unavailable for assessing volume and structure.
• The description notes future plans for automated collection, implying manual reporting during this period may have inconsistencies.

Provenance

Source

Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC), via NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Direct reading of station gauges, recorded in monthly Plant Inspector reports.

Time Range

January 1993 to February 2016

Freshness

Final update was February 2016; no ongoing updates indicated.

Geography

Four Australian Antarctic stations: Casey, Davis, Mawson, and Macquarie Island (coordinates provided).