Nam Co station undergoing the fourth overwinter monitoring---- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Near the New Year’s day, 2009, heavy snow fell on the Nam Co region on the Tibetan Plateau, driving the air temperature down to lower than minus 10℃. Facing the harsh climate, work staff on the Nam Co station still stuck to their positions and succeeded in acquiring the following achievement during the fourth overwinter observation.

1)　　 They not only continued with the daily monitoring of surface ice (including lake ice coverage and depth variation), but also intensified previous monitoring of infrared temperature on the Baima Namco and Namco, as well as the unfrozen lake surface during the early freezing period. Besides, observation of snow cover on the Nam Co station is still on, focusing on such basic data as snow coverage, depth and density. Above all, work staff also monitor regularly the runoff of Niya Qu 30 km. away from the station with the winter arrival, to get the year-round hydrological data of this river.

2)　　 Relating to atmospheric observation, in addition to previous sampling of atmospheric aerosols, precipitation, black carbon and POPs, scientific staff reset up the heliograph on the station to continue with the monitoring carried out two years before. They also equip themselves with the online monitoring system for black carbon monitoring. Noteworthy that the Nam Co station had accomplished all sampling tasked regulated by the GAPS program by the end of 2008, and was going on with the new sampling plan for 2009 from then on.

So far, the Nam Co station has successfully undergone three overwinter monitoring since 2006, acquiring large amount of valuable data continuous and necessary for scientific study of the Tibetan Plateau.