DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14845213
title: High-resolution atmospheric dataset at Deception Island, Antarctica

description: Dataset Overview

This dataset provides a high-resolution (1 km) atmospheric hindcast for Deception Island, Antarctica, covering the period from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2022. The dataset was produced using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model (Version 4.3.3) through dynamic downscaling of ERA5 reanalysis data to accurately capture small-scale atmospheric interactions over the island and its surroundings.

 

Model Configuration

The WRF model was set up with two nested computational domains:





Domain 1: Covers the northernmost part of the Antarctic Peninsula with a 5.0 km horizontal resolution.




Domain 2: Encompasses the South Shetland Islands, including Deception Island, with a 1.0 km horizontal resolution. Within this domain a SMALL domain has been selected around the island. 



Both domains use 35 terrain-following vertical levels, with increased resolution near the surface to better capture boundary-layer dynamics.



Validation

Model outputs were validated using observational data from the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) at the Gabriel de Castilla (GdC) station, located on Deception Island (60°40'31'' W, 62°58'38'' S) at an elevation of 13 m above sea level. This station has been operational since February 2005.

 

Data Structure

The dataset is stored as daily NetCDF files for the 1 km resolution domain (1km-SMALL grid). Each file contains one year of hourly atmospheric data. The grid is a Lambert conformal curvilinear system with dimensions (x=19, y=20).

Each NetCDF file follows this naming format:

WRF_ANTARCTICA_1km_<YY>_SMALL.nc

where <YY> represents the year of the simulation.

Key Variables

The dataset includes 161 atmospheric variables, such as:





Wind components: UGRD_10maboveground, VGRD_10maboveground




Pressure: PRMSL_meansealevel




Temperature: TMP_2maboveground




Humidity: SPFH_2maboveground




Precipitation: APCP_surface



The complete list of variables is:




Variable
Long Name
Units
Levels


PRMSL_meansealevel
Pressure Reduced to MSL
Pa
mean sea level


MSLET_meansealevel
MSLP (Eta model reduction)
Pa
Mean sea level


MSLMA_meansealevel
MSLP (MAPS System Reduction)
Pa
Mean sea level


PRES_surface
Pressure
Pa
Surface


HGT_surface
Geopotential Height
m
Surface


TMP_surface
Temperature
K
Surface


WEASD_surface
Water Equivalent of Accumulated Snow Depth
kg/m$^2$
Surface


SNOWC_surface
Snow Cover
Percent
Surface


SNOD_surface
Snow Depth
m
Surface


PRATE_surface
Precipitation Rate
kg/m^2/s
Surface


APCP_surface
Total Precipitation
kg/m^2
Surface


ACPCP_surface
Convective Precipitation
kg/m^2
Surface


NCPCP_surface
Large-Scale Precipitation (non-convective)
kg/m^2
Surface


PEVAP_surface
Potential Evaporation
kg/m^2
Surface


SFCR_surface
Surface Roughness
m
Surface


FRICV_surface
Frictional Velocity
m/s
Surface


SHTFL_surface
Sensible Heat Net Flux
W/m^2
Surface


LHTFL_surface
Latent Heat Net Flux
W/m^2
Surface


CAPE_surface
Convective Available Potential Energy
J/kg
Surface


CIN_surface
Convective Inhibition
J/kg
Surface


HPBL_surface
Planetary Boundary Layer Height
m
Surface


NLAT_surface
Latitude (-90 to 90)
deg
Surface


ELON_surface
East Longitude (0 to 360)
deg
Surface


LAND_surface
Land Cover (0=sea, 1=land)
Proportion
Surface


ICEC_surface
Ice Cover
Proportion
Surface


WTMP_surface
Water Temperature
K
Surface


VIS_surface
Visibility
m
surface


GUST_surface
Wind Speed (Gust)
m/s
surface


HGT_Pmb
Geopotential Height
m
P mb


 
 
 
P: 200, 300, 500, 700, 800, 850, 875, 900, 925,


 
 
 
950, 975, 1000


TMP_Pmb
Temperature
K
P  mb


 
 
 
P: 200, 300, 500, 700, 800, 850, 875, 900, 925, 950, 975, 1000


SPFH_Pmb
Specific Humidity
kg/kg
P  mb


 
 
 
P: 200, 300, 500, 700, 800, 850, 875, 900, 925, 950, 975, 1000


VVEL_Pmb
Vertical Velocity (Pressure)
Pa/s
P  mb


 
 
 
P: 200, 300, 500, 700, 800, 850


UGRD_Pmb
U-Component of Wind
m/s
P  mb


 
 
 
P: 200, 300, 500, 700, 800, 850, 875, 900, 925, 950, 975, 1000


VGRD_Pmb
V-Component of Wind
m/s
P mb


 
 
 
P: 200, 300, 500, 700, 800, 850, 875, 900, 925, 950, 975, 1000


ABSV_Pmb
Absolute Vorticity
1/s
P  mb


 
 
 
P: 200, 300, 500, 700, 800, 850


CLWMR_Pmb
Cloud Mixing Ratio
kg/kg
P  mb


 
 
 
P: 200, 300, 500, 700, 800, 850, 875, 900, 925, 950, 975, 1000


CICE_Pmb
Cloud Ice
kg/m^2
P  mb


 
 
 
P: 200, 300, 500, 700, 800, 850, 875, 900, 925, 950, 975, 1000


TMP_2maboveground
Temperature
K
2 m above ground


SPFH_2maboveground
Specific Humidity
kg/kg
2 m above ground


DPT_2maboveground
Dew Point Temperature
K
2 m above ground


RH_2maboveground
Relative Humidity
%
2 m above ground


UGRD_Lmaboveground
U-Component of Wind
m/s
L m above ground


 
 
 
L: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 80


VGRD_Lmaboveground
V-Component of Wind
m/s
L m above ground


 
 
 
L: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 80


SNOHF_10maboveground
Snow Phase Change Heat Flux
W/m^2
10 m above ground


REFD_4000maboveground
Reflectivity
dB
4000 m above ground


UGRD_30M0mbaboveground
U-Component of Wind
m/s
30-0 mb above ground


VGRD_30M0mbaboveground
V-Component of Wind
m/s
30-0 mb above ground


SPFH_30M0mbaboveground
Specific Humidity
kg/kg
30-0 mb above ground


HGT_0Cisotherm
Geopotential Height
m
0C Isotherm


 
(0C Isotherm)
 
 


REFC_P
Composite reflectivity
dB
Entire Atmosphere (Single Layer)


 
 
 
P: entireatmosphere_consideredasasinglelayer


PWAT_P
Precipitable Water
kg/m^2
Entire Atmosphere (Single Layer)


 
 
 
P: entireatmosphere_consideredasasinglelayer


TCOLW_P
Total Column-Integrated Cloud Water
kg/m^2
Entire Atmosphere (Single Layer)


 
 
 
P: entireatmosphere_consideredasasinglelayer_


TCOLI_P
Total Column-Integrated Cloud Ice
kg/m^2
Entire Atmosphere (Single Layer)


 
 
 
P: entireatmosphere_consideredasasinglelayer_


TCOLR_P
Total Column Integrated Rain
kg/m^2
Entire Atmosphere (Single Layer)


 
 
 
P: entireatmosphere_consideredasasinglelayer_


TCOLS_P
Total Column Integrated Snow
kg/m^2
Entire Atmosphere (Single Layer)


 
 
 
P: entireatmosphere_consideredasasinglelayer_


TCOLC_P
Total Column-Integrated Condensate
kg/m^2
Entire Atmosphere (Single Layer)


 
 
 
P: entireatmosphere_consideredasasinglelayer_


TCDC_P
Total Cloud Cover
Percent
Entire Atmosphere (Single Layer)


 
 
 
P: entireatmosphere_consideredasasinglelayer_


LCDC_lowcloudlayer
Low Cloud Cover
Percent
Low Cloud Layer


MCDC_middlecloudlayer
Medium Cloud Cover
Percent
Middle Cloud Layer


HCDC_highcloudlayer
High Cloud Cover
Percent
High Cloud Layer


HGT_cloudbase
Geopotential Height (Cloud Base)
m
Cloud Base


HGT_cloudceiling
Geopotential Height (Cloud Ceiling)
m
Cloud Ceiling


HGT_cloudtop
Geopotential Height (Cloud Top)
m
Cloud Top


HGT_tropopause
Geopotential Height (Tropopause)
m
Tropopause