The role of the Antarctic region in the southern hemisphere weather and climate is being investigated by the combined techniques of general circulation modelling, observations, and data analysis for improved parameterisation. A review is presented of the information available on the climatology of the Antarctic region. It is concluded that over the Antarctic continent the atmospheric processes can be successfully modelled provided adequate vertical and horizontal resolution is used, particularly in the steep coastal regions. Over the sea ice zone, however, the variability of atmospheric, ice and ocean characteristics is high so that the development of dynamic interactive atmosphere-ice-ocean models is required. The variations in the generation and movement of southern hemisphere cyclones seem to be strongly dependent on the variable heat exchange over the Southern Ocean and sea ice zone. It is through these variations in the extratropical cyclones that the influence of the Antarctic on lower-latitude weather and climate is most clearly felt.
W. F. Budd (Wed,) studied this question.
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