Radiosonde Observations from the Former Soviet "North Pole" Series of Drifting Ice Stations, 1954-90

Abstract

An historical archive of over 25 00 radiosonde observations from the former Soviet "North Pole" series of drifting ice stations has been compiled and made available to interested researchers. This archive is the only long-term set of meteorological sounding data over the Arctic Ocean. The digital archive is a result of the multiyear, collaborative efforts of a group of United States and Russian scientists and keypunch operators working under the auspices of Working Group VIII, an area of study within the United States-Russian Federation Agreement for Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources. The archive contains soundings from 21 drifting stations over the period 1954-90 and is being distributed by the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado.