USGS Streamgaging in Antarctica

Hydrologists from the USGS Wyoming Water Science Center are helping operate a network of 18 streamgages in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. This work supports the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-Term Ecological Research project.

During the brief Antarctic summer, 24-hour daylight and relatively warm temperatures (often near 32°F) cause snow and ice on the glaciers within the Dry Valleys to melt. This glacial meltwater creates ephemeral streams that flow into the permanently ice-covered lakes in the region. Accurately measuring the flows in these melt-water streams is a critical component of overall scientific goals of the Dry Valleys Long-Term Ecological Research project.

Glaciers, streams and lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, along with the ecosystems dependent upon them, are extremely sensitive to changes in climate. Many scientists believe that the effects of human alterations of global climate will appear first in regions like the McMurdo Dry Valleys. For this reason the hydrology and biology of the region are being monitored and studied intensively. Accurate streamflow measurements will be critical for monitoring regional climate, as well as for testing scientific hypotheses about how the climate, glaciers, and ecosystems interact.

2007-08 updates from Antarctica are available here.

Real-time streamflow information for the Onxy River from gaging stations at Lower Wright and Lake Vanda, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica.

Streamgaging on Onyx River at Lake Vanda, Wright Valley, Antarctica. Photo by Chris Jaros, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research.