MDV ClimEx: An open-source tool for exploring climate anomalies in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica

Antarctic ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to climate change, which is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme climate events. In the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs), three decades of high-resolution meteorological monitoring offer a rare opportunity to characterize climate baselines and detect anomalous conditions that may signal extreme events capable of triggering hydrological and ecological responses. However, identifying and assessing such anomalies from long-term records can be challenging without appropriate visualization tools and analytical frameworks. Here, we introduce MDV ClimEx, an open-source, interactive web application designed for user-driven exploration of long-term meteorological records from the MDVs. Specifically, this tool enables users to examine common meteorological variables at specific locations across multiple timescales to identify potential anomalies, combining dynamic visualizations with built-in functionality that quantifies the magnitude of user-identified anomalies as the number of standard deviations (σ) from the historical average. Through three use cases involving both known and previously unreported air temperature anomalies in Taylor Valley, we demonstrate how MDV ClimEx serves as a valuable resource for researchers, educators, and the public to identify anomalies and support investigations of climate-driven hydrological and ecological changes in this polar desert ecosystem.