Reviews: Antarctic Map Folio Series. Folio 4: Antarctic Atmosphere: Climatology of the Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere

Summary

This review evaluates two academic works on Antarctic meteorology. The first, 'The Antarctic Atmosphere: Climatology of the Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere' (American Geographical Society, 1966), is an atlas presenting mean temperature and wind distributions at four levels over Antarctica and surrounding oceans for December and September. The reviewer notes that while the maps are data-rich, issues include overly heavy colored backgrounds, a disappointingly short reference list, and insufficient emphasis on the seasonal variations of the westerlies. The spring warming diagrams of the stratosphere are highlighted as the most valuable feature. The second work, 'Studies in Antarctic Meteorology' (American Geophysical Union, 1966), contains seven papers on snow drifting, micrometeorology, and climatology based on IGY observations. The review acknowledges the valuable data but cautions that the short observation period limits the robustness of some conclusions.