Ukrainian Antarctic Journal

Vol 23 No 2(31) (2025): Ukrainian Antarctic Journal
Articles

Linking weather variability and climatic pressure dipole in the Antarctic region of Amundsen – Bellingshausen – Weddell Seas

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  • Larysa Pysarenko,
  • Mykhailo Savenets,
  • Denys Pishniak
Larysa Pysarenko
Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, 03028, Ukraine; State Institution National Antarctic Scientific Center of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine
Mykhailo Savenets
Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, 03028, Ukraine
Denys Pishniak
State Institution National Antarctic Scientific Center of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33275/1727-7485.2.2025.748
Published December 30, 2025
Keywords
  • Amundsen Sea Low,
  • Antarctica,
  • atmospheric pressure,
  • meteorological variables,
  • precipitation,
  • reanalysis
    • ...More
    Less
How to Cite
Pysarenko, L., Savenets, M., & Pishniak, D. (2025). Linking weather variability and climatic pressure dipole in the Antarctic region of Amundsen – Bellingshausen – Weddell Seas. Ukrainian Antarctic Journal, 23(2(31), 3-29. https://doi.org/10.33275/1727-7485.2.2025.748

Copyright (c) 2025 Ukrainian Antarctic Journal

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Abstract

The climatic pressure dipole, formed by the Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) and the high-pressure area east of the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), is a major contributor to weather variability in West Antarctica and the peninsula region. Under the ongoing climate change, the role of this pressure configuration often remains uncertain. Using ERA5 reanalysis data for 1991–2022, we investigated the response of precipitation types and near-surface meteorological fields to variability in the climatic pressure dipole. A deepening eastward shift of the ASL increased snowfall over the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas, particularly near the low-pressure center itself, while precipitation near the AP tended to shift from solid to mixed or liquid phases. Strengthening of high pressure over the western Weddell Sea – especially when displaced closer to the AP – led to an overall decrease in precipitation, but with more frequent freezing rains and ice pellets over the northeastern AP. These relationships, however, were highly heterogeneous and exhibited strong seasonal features. Near-surface meteorological parameters showed weaker responses to the pressure dipole than precipitation. A deepened ASL generally lowered air temperature and saturation point over the eastern Bellingshausen Sea, while its eastward displacement produced warmer conditions across the study area. A high-pressure ridge east of the AP strongly influenced the thermal regime over the Weddell Sea and Dronning Maud Land, and was associated with intensified southerly and westerly winds in the southern part of the AP. Overall, this study enhances understanding of how surface meteorological conditions generally respond to atmospheric pressure variability in the region.

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