The Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Surface Conditions during Katabatic Wind Events over the Terra Nova Bay Polynya
Off the coast of Victoria Land, Antarctica an area of open water—the Terra Nova Bay Polynya (TNBP)—persists throughout the austral winter. The development of this coastal polynya is driven by extreme katabatic winds blowing down the slopes of Transantarctic Mountains. The surface-atmosphere coupling...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/24/4160 |
| _version_ | 1797544114221219840 |
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| author | Marta Wenta John J. Cassano |
| author_facet | Marta Wenta John J. Cassano |
| author_sort | Marta Wenta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Off the coast of Victoria Land, Antarctica an area of open water—the Terra Nova Bay Polynya (TNBP)—persists throughout the austral winter. The development of this coastal polynya is driven by extreme katabatic winds blowing down the slopes of Transantarctic Mountains. The surface-atmosphere coupling and ABL transformation during the katabatic wind events between 18 and 25 September 2012 in Terra Nova Bay are studied, using observations from Aerosonde unmanned aircraft system (UAS), numerical modeling results and Antarctic Weather Station (AWS) measurements. First, we analyze how the persistence and strength of the katabatic winds relate to sea level pressure (SLP) changes in the region throughout the studied period. Secondly, the polynya extent variations are analysed in relation to wind speed changes. We conclude that the intensity of the flow, surface conditions in the bay and regional SLP fluctuations are all interconnected and contribute to polynya development. We also analyse the Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS) forecast for the studied period and find out that incorrect representation of vertical ABL properties over the TNBP might be caused by overestimated sea ice concentrations (SIC) used as model input. Altogether, this research provides a unique description of TNBP development and its interactions with the atmosphere and katabatic winds. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:54:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-07fca390f4be449a8dd9f7771198bb17 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:54:52Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-07fca390f4be449a8dd9f7771198bb172023-11-21T01:39:59ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922020-12-011224416010.3390/rs12244160The Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Surface Conditions during Katabatic Wind Events over the Terra Nova Bay PolynyaMarta Wenta0John J. Cassano1Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdansk, 81-378 Gdynia, PolandCooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, National Snow and Ice Data Center and Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USAOff the coast of Victoria Land, Antarctica an area of open water—the Terra Nova Bay Polynya (TNBP)—persists throughout the austral winter. The development of this coastal polynya is driven by extreme katabatic winds blowing down the slopes of Transantarctic Mountains. The surface-atmosphere coupling and ABL transformation during the katabatic wind events between 18 and 25 September 2012 in Terra Nova Bay are studied, using observations from Aerosonde unmanned aircraft system (UAS), numerical modeling results and Antarctic Weather Station (AWS) measurements. First, we analyze how the persistence and strength of the katabatic winds relate to sea level pressure (SLP) changes in the region throughout the studied period. Secondly, the polynya extent variations are analysed in relation to wind speed changes. We conclude that the intensity of the flow, surface conditions in the bay and regional SLP fluctuations are all interconnected and contribute to polynya development. We also analyse the Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS) forecast for the studied period and find out that incorrect representation of vertical ABL properties over the TNBP might be caused by overestimated sea ice concentrations (SIC) used as model input. Altogether, this research provides a unique description of TNBP development and its interactions with the atmosphere and katabatic winds.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/24/4160atmospheric boundary layersea ice–atmosphere interactionskatabatic winds |
| spellingShingle | Marta Wenta John J. Cassano The Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Surface Conditions during Katabatic Wind Events over the Terra Nova Bay Polynya Remote Sensing atmospheric boundary layer sea ice–atmosphere interactions katabatic winds |
| title | The Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Surface Conditions during Katabatic Wind Events over the Terra Nova Bay Polynya |
| title_full | The Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Surface Conditions during Katabatic Wind Events over the Terra Nova Bay Polynya |
| title_fullStr | The Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Surface Conditions during Katabatic Wind Events over the Terra Nova Bay Polynya |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Surface Conditions during Katabatic Wind Events over the Terra Nova Bay Polynya |
| title_short | The Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Surface Conditions during Katabatic Wind Events over the Terra Nova Bay Polynya |
| title_sort | atmospheric boundary layer and surface conditions during katabatic wind events over the terra nova bay polynya |
| topic | atmospheric boundary layer sea ice–atmosphere interactions katabatic winds |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/24/4160 |
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