Temperatures as Low as -100°C Could Be Reached at Dome A under “Perfect” Conditions
11.01.2010 - Atmosphere & Space, Ice & Snow, Antarctic
Dome Argus (Dome A) in Antarctica could eventually see the coldest temperature ever recorded on the Earth, according to researchers from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Vostok Station currently holds the record for the coldest temperature ever measured on the planet, when the temperature dropped to -89.2°C on 21 July 1983.
John Turner and his colleagues from BAS showed that under the right conditions, temperatures could drop even lower, to -96°C. By analyzing the weather conditions that made the record low possible at Vostok Station, they determined that the severe cold at Vostok had been caused by an unusual, near-stationary vortex near station, which prevented waves of warm air from the ocean from reaching that part of the continent.
If a new vortex were to settle near Vostok Station again, temperatures could drop by an additional 6°C. However if this were to happen, nearby Dome Argus, which is at a higher elevation, could drop as low as -100°C under the right conditions and even set a new record for lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth.
