The sensitivity of different sampling regimes in identifying inter-annual changes in environmental parameters was investigated using environmental data from Davis Station, Antarctica, from 1985 to 1987. Strong daily, depressional (4 to 5 days) and yearly cycles were seen in temperature, wind speed and pressure. Sampling daily maxima and minima would be sufficient to detect a 2 to 3°C change in monthly mean temperature over two years with a significance α of 0.05 and a power P of 0.8. Sampling wind speed continuously or as daily maxima and minima would be sufficient to detect a 10 to 20% change in monthly mean log-transformed wind speed α of 0.05 and P of 0.9.