A case study of turbulent parameters during the Antarctic winter

• Published in: Antarctic Science
• Main Authors: Yagüe, Carlos, Redondo, José M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1995
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctic Science; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102095000587; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102095000587

Two days of the Antarctic winter (20 and 21 June 1986) were chosen to study some turbulent parameters in this particular boundary-layer. Richardson number, Monin-Obukhov length, eddy transfer coefficients, turbulent kinetic energy, turbulent intensities, friction velocities and sensible heat flux at three levels (5, 17 and 32 m) were considered. The results show how the stability at 17 and 32 m influences the turbulent transfer at 5 m. The shear of wind is the main mechanism to produce mixing in the lower atmosphere at Antarctica, and thermal inversions associated to surface cooling develop with winds < 10 m s−1 at 5 m. The possible influence of internal gravity-waves on the atmospheric boundary-layer during strong stable stratification is studied.