Moisture source of precipitation in Western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

Moisture sources for snow falling in Dronning Maud Land (DML), Antarctica, are calculated for 1998 using three dimensional 5-days backward air parcel trajectories. The drilling site of the European Project on Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) in DML is chosen as the main arrival point (75.0°S, 0.01°E...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Antarctic Science
Main Authors: Reijmer, C. H., Broeke, M.R. Van Den
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2001
Subjects:
Geology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Oceanography
Antarc*
Antarctic Science
Antarctica
DML
Dronning Maud Land
EPICA
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102001000293
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102001000293
Description
Summary:Moisture sources for snow falling in Dronning Maud Land (DML), Antarctica, are calculated for 1998 using three dimensional 5-days backward air parcel trajectories. The drilling site of the European Project on Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) in DML is chosen as the main arrival point (75.0°S, 0.01°E). A distinction is made between trajectories with and without snowfall at arrival. Of the snowfall trajectories, 40–80% are located in the Atlantic Ocean within four days before arrival. Evaporation along these trajectories is largest three to four days before arrival. The air parcels are then located between 40° and 60°S in the Atlantic Ocean where surface temperatures range between 0° and 20°C. A case study for May 1998 shows that when snow falls exceptionally high temperatures and wind speeds prevail in the atmospheric boundary layer. The position of the trajectories in the boundary layer suggests a source region for this event between 40° and 50°S and 20° and 60°W in the Atlantic Ocean, where sea surface temperatures vary between 5° and 15°C.

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