ALBERT

Note: CONTENS: 1. lntroduction. - 2. Location of the Polish Polar Station at Hornsund. - 3. The principal climatic parameters. - 3.1. Duralion of day and night. - 3.2. Potential insolation. - 3.3. Changes in the sea ice area and the surface temperatures of surrounding seas. - 3.3.1. Sea surface temperature. - 3.3.2. Sea ice cover. - 3.3.3. Factcrs influencing changes of SST and ice cover in the region of Spitsbergen. - 4. The atmospheric circulation. - 4.1. The mean baric field. - 4.2. The frequency of occurrence of the circulation types. - 4.3. Index of zonal circulation - western (W). - 4.4. Index of meridional circulation - southern (S). - 4.5. Index of cyclonicity (C). - 5. The atmospheric pressure. - 5.1. The annual course. - 5.2. Extreme values and interdiurnal variability. - 6. The winds. - 6.1. The structure of wind directions. - 6.2. Wind speeds. - 6.3. The associations between wind directions and speeds. - 7. Cloudiness and sunshine duration. - 7.1. Cloudiness. - 7.2. Clear and cloudy days. - 7.3. Types of clouds, manifestations of local climatic features in the cloudiness. - 7.4. Sunshine duration. - 8. Solar radiation. - 9. Air temperature. - 9.1. Annual air temperature. - 9.2. Monthly air temperatures. - 9.3 The annual patterns of diurnal temperature. - 9.5 Thermal seasons. - 9.5 Factors shaping interannual variability of the air temperature. - 9.5.1. Associations of air temperature at Hornsund with indices describing the large scale atmospheric circulation. - 9.5.2 lnfluence of atmospheric circulation on the air temperature at Hornsund. - 9.5.3. The influence of sea ice cover on the air temperature at Hornsund. - 9.5.4. The influence of sea surface temperature (SST) changes on the air temperature at Hornsund. - 9.5.5. Comprehensive effects of changes of sea ice extent, sea surface temperature and atmospheric circulation on the air temperature at Hornsund. - 10. Humidity. - 10.1. Water vapour pressure. - 10.2. Relative humidity. - 11. Atmospheric precipitation. - 11 .1. General information, materials and methods. - 11.2.Distribution of monthly means and annual totals of precipitation. - 11.3. High diurnal precipitation. - 11.4 Number of days with precipitation. - 11.5 The annual cycle of atmospheric precipitation, taking the modes of occurrence into consideration. - 11.6 Associations of precipitation with atmospheric circulation. - 12. The horizontal visibility and fog. - 12.1 The horizontal visibility. - 12.2 Fog. - 13. States of the weather and weather seasonality. - 13.1 Methods. - 13.2 Structure of states of the weather. - 13.2.1 Weather groups and subgroups. - 13.2.2 Weather classes. - 13.2.3. Types of weather. - 13.2.4 The annual structure of states of the weather. - 13.3 Seasonal structure of the climate in the station region. - 13.3.1. Winter (October 21 - May 10). - 13.3.2. Spring (May 11 - July 10). - 13.3.3. Summer (July 11 - August 31). - 13.3.4. Autumn (September 1 - October 20). - 13.3.5. Remarks on the observed climatic seasonality. - 14. The climate of the station in the light of selected climatic indices. - 14.1. Continentality and oceanicity of the climate. - 14.2. The humidity of the climate. - 14.3. Wind chill. - 14.4. Positive and negative degree-days. - 15. The associations between climatic parameters and a model of changes of climatic conditions in the Hornsund region. - 15.1. Associations between climatic parameters. - 15.2. A model to forecast climatic changes in the Hornsund region. - 16. Changes of climate in the Hornsund station region during the meteorological observation, 1979-2009. - 16.1. Changes of atmospheric pressure. - 16.2. Changes of circulation indices. - 16.2.1. The W index of western zonal circulation. - 16.2.2. The S index of southern meridional circulation. - 16.2.3. The C index of cyclonicity. - 16.3. Changes of direction and velocity of the winds. - 16.4. Changes of cloudiness, sunshine duration and horizontal visibility. - 16.5. Changas of air temperature. - 16.6. Changes of precipitation. - 16.6.1. The multiannual variability of precipitation totals. - 16.6.2. Variability of rainfall and snowfall totals. - 16.6.3. Variability of the number of days with precipitation 〉 0.0 mm. - 16.6.4. Variability of number of days with precipitation [greater-than-or-equal sign] 0.1 mm. - 16.6.5. Variability of number of days with rainfall and snowfall. - 16.6.6. General trends of changes in atmospheric precipitation. - 17. Summary. - 18. Results of Observations. - 18. 1. Results of observations of meteorological parameters made at Hornsund during the Founding Expedition (1957-1958). - 18.2. Results of observations of meteorological parameters at Hornsundin 1978-2012. - 19. Snow cover at the Hornsund station. - 20. Ground temperatures at Hornsund. - REFERENCES. - APPENDICES. - 1. Calendar of circulation types for territory of Spitsbergen. - 1.1. Monthly, annual and seasonal values of circulation type S. - 1.2. Monthly, annual and seasonal values of circulation type W. - 1.3. Monthly, annual and seasonal values of circulation type C. - 2. LF1-4 Index. - 13. DG3L index.