Temperatures at Halley rarely rise above 0°C although temperatures around -10°C are common on sunny summer days. Typical winter temperatures are below -20°C with extreme lows of around -55°C.
There is 24-hour darkness for 105 days when residents are completely isolated from the outside world by the surrounding sea ice and impossible flying conditions.
Winds are predominantly from the east. Strong winds usually pick up the dusty surface snow, reducing visibility to a few metres.
Approximately 1.2 metres of snow accumulates each year on the Brunt Ice Shelf and buildings on the surface become covered and eventually crushed by snow. This part of the ice shelf is also moving westward by approximately 700 metres per year.
In 2013, Halley was made part of the network of 30 stations across the globe that form the World Meteorological Organization’s Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) programme, becoming the 29th in the world and 3rd in Antarctica. Together, these stations provide reliable information on the chemical composition of the atmosphere and how it is changing.
Measurements of ozone, as well as meteorology, have been made at Halley since it was established in 1956. This long-term data enabled British scientists to discover the hole in the ozone layer in 1985.
Other Networks to Which This CryoNet Station Belongs
GAW Global station
GCOS
Measurement Methods Used
WMO Technical Regulations
Data Information
Are the data quality controlled? yes
How are the data accessible? FTP, an existing data center, other
Data availability (may depend on the variable measured): in near real-time, delayed less than one month
Measurements
The measurements made at Halley are listed in the following tables. (Note: If End Year is blank, measurements are ongoing.)
There is 24-hour darkness for 105 days when residents are completely isolated from the outside world by the surrounding sea ice and impossible flying conditions.
Winds are predominantly from the east. Strong winds usually pick up the dusty surface snow, reducing visibility to a few metres.
Approximately 1.2 metres of snow accumulates each year on the Brunt Ice Shelf and buildings on the surface become covered and eventually crushed by snow. This part of the ice shelf is also moving westward by approximately 700 metres per year.
In 2013, Halley was made part of the network of 30 stations across the globe that form the World Meteorological Organization’s Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) programme, becoming the 29th in the world and 3rd in Antarctica. Together, these stations provide reliable information on the chemical composition of the atmosphere and how it is changing.
Measurements of ozone, as well as meteorology, have been made at Halley since it was established in 1956. This long-term data enabled British scientists to discover the hole in the ozone layer in 1985.