Über die deutschen Forschungsaktivitäten in den Polarregionen

About the German research activities in the polar regions: Since the International Geophysical Year 1957 scientists from both German states actively participated in international projects in Greenland and Svalbard and worked as guest scientists at various research stations in Antarctica. When the Federal Republic of Germany became a consultative member to the Antarctic Treaty system in 1981, for the first time in the history of German polar research an institutionalised long term polar research programme was established. The Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar Research, today Alfred Wegener Institute – Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) was founded in 1980 as a national scientific centre for polar research. It operates the major infrastructure for logistics and science in both polar pegions. In the Antarctic the Federal Agency for Geosciences and Natural Resources and Geo-Research (BGR) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) dispose of further research facilities. To meet the latest technical and scientific requirements, AWI’s polar infrastructure has been permanently improved or replaced, if necessary. Likewise AWI supported initiatives to further develop the international cooperation in logistics, in order to improve access and joint operation of research stations in polar regions. For almost 30 years the German polar research programme with its infrastructure is closely internationally linked. It contributed to key research programme and has a significant share in the current in-depth understanding of the role of the polar regions within the Earth system. It is mandatory to keep this high level for the upcoming research activities

Joint AWI-NIPR airborne operations in the past and the future

The Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) has in the past operated two ski equipped aircraft (Dornier Do228-101) for scientific and logistic purposes in polar regions-called POLAR 2 and POLAR 4. Both aircraft are easily able to be adapted to different science programs. Aero-geophysical instrumentation and various atmospheric systems are available. In recent years, a long and fruitful cooperation with the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), Tokyo, has been established, whereby so far three joint airborne campaigns have been already performed in the Arctic, namely ASTAR 2000 (Arctic Study of Tropospheric Aerosol and Radiation), AAMP 2002 (Arctic Airborne Measurement Program), and ASTAR 2004. The ANTSYO (Antarctic flight missions at Syowa region: Airborne Geophysical, Glaciological, and Atmospheric Research in East Antarctica) operations of the AWI research aircraft, POLAR 2, started in the season 2005/06, from S17, near Syowa Station in December 2005. Running such surveys presents a logistical challenge that can only be met with the combined support of Alfred Wegener Institute, Bremerhaven, and the NIPR, Tokyo. Therefore, both national Antarctic programs put their logistical capabilities together in order to perform the first extensive airborne missions in this area over a period of three Antarctic summer seasons (2005/06 till 2007/08)

Compilation of ozonesonde profiles from the Antarctic station Georg-Forster from 1985 to 1992

On 22 May 1985 the first balloon-borne ozonesonde was successfully launched by the staff of Georg-Forster-Station (70�460 S, 11�410 E). The subsequent weekly ozone soundings mark the beginning of a continuous investigation of the vertical ozone distribution in the southern hemisphere by Germany. The measurements began the year the ozone hole was discovered. They significantly contribute to other measurements made prior to and following 1985 at other stations. The regular ozone soundings from 1985 until 1992 are a valuable reference data set since the chemical ozone loss became a significant feature in the southern polar stratosphere. The balloon-borne soundings were performed at the upper air sounding facility of the neighbouring station Novolazarevskaya, just 2 km from Georg-Forster-Station. Until 1992, ozone soundings were taken without interruption. Thereafter, the ozone sounding program was moved to Neumayer-Station (70�390 S, 8�150 W) 750 km further west