 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Weather Prediction System Supports South Pole Rescue
Boulder - Sep 22, 2003 Rescuers are using a weather prediction system specially designed for Antarctica as they try to evacuate an ill employee from the South Pole this week. With a computer forecasting model at its core, the Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS) is a collaboration between scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and Ohio State University's Byrd Polar Research Center. AMPS runs at NCAR and is funded by the National Science Foundation, NCAR's primary sponsor. High winds have so far prevented a twin-engine airplane from departing the British Rothera Base at the edge of Antarctica for the 1,500-mile, 10-hour flight inland to the pole. When winds abate, the crew will evacuate the ill employee to Rothera Base or to the U.S. base at McMurdo, depending on weather conditions. Meteorologists involved in the rescue are using AMPS for forecast information because it's unique among weather prediction systems. While scientists develop and test most computer weather models for tropical and midlatitude regions, the poles present different challenges, such as a scarcity of weather stations to measure atmospheric conditions. AMPS uses a computer model called Polar MM5, primarily developed by the Polar Meteorology Group at the Byrd Polar Research Center, that is tailored for the extreme polar environment and takes account of features like sea ice. It incorporates a high amount of detail about Antarctica. "AMPS is not only breaking ground in the realm of real-time Antarctic weather modeling, but it is building a record of assisting in emergency rescues from Antarctica," says Jordan Powers, NCAR scientist and project lead for AMPS. Meteorologists used AMPS during the medical evacuation of an American scientist from the South Pole in 2001. In 2002, the model helped in the rescue of scientists and crew from a supply ship, the Magdalena Oldendorff, that became trapped in ice along the Antarctic coast. The ill employee has been spending the Southern Hemisphere winter at the South Pole to conduct research and run the station. The last flight left the pole in February and another isn't scheduled to return until the Southern Hemisphere spring in late October. An attempted rescue flight on September 15 was cancelled because of bad weather at Rothera. When weather conditions are favorable, rescuers will make another attempt. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction Model University Corporation for Atmospheric Research SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Space Medicine Technology and Systems
Secrets Of A Salty Survivor
Huntsville AL (SPX) Sep 13, 2004You can learn a lot from a microbe. Right now, a tiny critter from the Dead Sea is teaching scientists new things about biotechnology, cancer, possible life on other worlds. And that's just for starters: |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
