Radio weather transmissions in the Antarctic

Abstract

During seven summer Brazilian expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula area the author used radio weather transmissions to collect data for synoptic analysis and operational weather forecasting. A particularly intensive effort aboard Barão de Teffé in 1989–90 yielded detailed information on frequencies, schedules, procedures and contents, which should be useful to radio-operators, meteorologists, and other Antarctic workers since official publications listing Antarctic radio transmissions are out-dated or incomplete. Radiotelegraph broadcasts particularly valuable to mariners, which may replace or complement facsimile transmissions, are made by Valparaiso, Punta Arenas, and Buenos Aires. Because of unreliable reception of regular fax and teletype broadcasts, synoptic reports were copied directly by monitoring voice and Morse point-to-point circuits, gaining time crucial to operational decisions. Especially useful sources of reports were the Frei, Marambio, and Faraday collections, and the USSR radiotelegraph communications carrying land and ship reports for all sectors of Antarctica and southern hemisphere oceans. Other signals, eg from Chilean lighthouses, ships of opportunity, and aircraft have become useful sources of meteorological information, especially for Drake Passage since Chile has suspended broadcasts, adversely affecting weather forecasting in the area. An insight into weather conditions on the Antarctic Plateau, as well as a sense of history in the making, were gained by monitoring Adventure Network International's radio frequencies.

A further Antarctic myth

“…Also particularly annoying to me are the tales spun around Operation Highjump and Admiral Byrd. As a radio amateur and short wave listener, I monitored Highjump's morse code communications in 1946-1947, and wrote reports about it that were published in the USA and UK hobbyist magazines (Villela 1948). It would be another 43 years until my next published paper with a similar title appeared, this time in Polar Record (Villela 1991).…”

“…Parts 17, 18 and 19 (the issues for 8, 9, and 10 June respectively) refer to the ‘UFO’ episode and our troublesome visit ashore to Base G to investigate if the light could have been a pistol flare shot by someone in need of help. Other original accounts I wrote were published as listed in the references (Villela 1968, 1979, 1998). A reliable citation may be found in a book by the UFO investigator Timothy Good (Good 2000: 20–25).…”