High-resolution atmospheric dataset at Deception Island, Antarctica

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__SMALL.nc

where 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