Snow in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Abstract Snowfall was measured at 11 sites in the McMurdo Dry Valleys to determine its magnitude, its temporal changes, and spatial patterns. Annual values ranged from 3 to 50 mm water equivalent with the highest values nearest the coast and decreasing inland. A particularly strong spatial gradient...
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crwiley:10.1002/joc.1933 2024-09-15T17:44:50+00:00 Snow in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica Fountain, Andrew G. Nylen, Thomas H. Monaghan, Andrew Basagic, Hassan J. Bromwich, David NSF National Science Foundation 2009 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/joc.1933 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fjoc.1933 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/joc.1933 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor International Journal of Climatology volume 30, issue 5, page 633-642 ISSN 0899-8418 1097-0088 journal-article 2009 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1933 2024-08-22T04:14:51Z Abstract Snowfall was measured at 11 sites in the McMurdo Dry Valleys to determine its magnitude, its temporal changes, and spatial patterns. Annual values ranged from 3 to 50 mm water equivalent with the highest values nearest the coast and decreasing inland. A particularly strong spatial gradient exists in Taylor Valley, probably resulting from local uplift conditions at the coastal margin and valley topography that limits migration inland. More snow occurs in winter near the coast, whereas inland no seasonal pattern is discernable. This may be due, again, to local uplift conditions, which are common in winter. We find no influence of the distance to the sea ice edge. Katabatic winds play an important role in transporting snow to the valley bottoms and essentially double the precipitation. That much of the snow accumulation sublimates prior to making a hydrologic contribution underscores the notion that the McMurdo Dry Valleys are indeed an extreme polar desert. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys polar desert Sea ice Wiley Online Library International Journal of Climatology 30 5 633 642 |
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Open Polar |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Snowfall was measured at 11 sites in the McMurdo Dry Valleys to determine its magnitude, its temporal changes, and spatial patterns. Annual values ranged from 3 to 50 mm water equivalent with the highest values nearest the coast and decreasing inland. A particularly strong spatial gradient exists in Taylor Valley, probably resulting from local uplift conditions at the coastal margin and valley topography that limits migration inland. More snow occurs in winter near the coast, whereas inland no seasonal pattern is discernable. This may be due, again, to local uplift conditions, which are common in winter. We find no influence of the distance to the sea ice edge. Katabatic winds play an important role in transporting snow to the valley bottoms and essentially double the precipitation. That much of the snow accumulation sublimates prior to making a hydrologic contribution underscores the notion that the McMurdo Dry Valleys are indeed an extreme polar desert. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society |
author2 |
NSF National Science Foundation |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Fountain, Andrew G. Nylen, Thomas H. Monaghan, Andrew Basagic, Hassan J. Bromwich, David |
spellingShingle |
Fountain, Andrew G. Nylen, Thomas H. Monaghan, Andrew Basagic, Hassan J. Bromwich, David Snow in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
author_facet |
Fountain, Andrew G. Nylen, Thomas H. Monaghan, Andrew Basagic, Hassan J. Bromwich, David |
author_sort |
Fountain, Andrew G. |
title |
Snow in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_short |
Snow in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_full |
Snow in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Snow in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Snow in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_sort |
snow in the mcmurdo dry valleys, antarctica |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/joc.1933 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fjoc.1933 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/joc.1933 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys polar desert Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys polar desert Sea ice |
op_source |
International Journal of Climatology volume 30, issue 5, page 633-642 ISSN 0899-8418 1097-0088 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1933 |
container_title |
International Journal of Climatology |
container_volume |
30 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
633 |
op_container_end_page |
642 |
_version_ |
1810492508247949312 |