Since 2012, the PEACE (Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Climate Experiments) project has been building a network of automatic weather stations (AWS) across East Antarctica to collect continuous meteorological observations in one of the world's most remote environments.

The AWS network spans a transect extending from the Antarctic Plateau to the coast of Queen Maud Land. Each station continuously records key meteorological variables, including air temperature, wind speed, wind direction and relative humidity. Together, these observations provide a detailed picture of how weather conditions vary across different Antarctic environments throughout the year.

Long-term meteorological observations are essential for understanding Antarctica's climate and improving predictions of future environmental change. The AWS network provides valuable ground-based measurements that complement satellite observations and help scientists validate weather forecasts, climate models and studies of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Because the stations operate year-round, they continue collecting data even during the Antarctic winter when the research station is unoccupied.

Over the years, the network has expanded to include multiple observation sites across East Antarctica, creating one of the region's most comprehensive meteorological monitoring systems. The collected data are made openly available to the international scientific community in accordance with the Antarctic Treaty System, supporting research on weather, climate and polar environmental change.