G.: Temperatures, heating rates and vapour pressures in near-surface snow at the South Pole
ABSTRACT. A finite-volume model is used to simulate 9 years (1995–2003) of snow temperatures at the South Pole. The upper boundary condition is skin-surface temperature derived from routine upwelling longwave radiation measurements, while the lower boundary condition is set to the seasonal temperatu...
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ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.430.3120 2023-05-15T13:43:47+02:00 G.: Temperatures, heating rates and vapour pressures in near-surface snow at the South Pole Michael S. Town Edwin D. Waddington Von P. Walden Stephen G. Warren The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives 2008 application/pdf http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.430.3120 http://www.igsoc.org/journal/54/186/t07J080.pdf en eng http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.430.3120 http://www.igsoc.org/journal/54/186/t07J080.pdf Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. http://www.igsoc.org/journal/54/186/t07J080.pdf text 2008 ftciteseerx 2016-01-08T04:37:29Z ABSTRACT. A finite-volume model is used to simulate 9 years (1995–2003) of snow temperatures at the South Pole. The upper boundary condition is skin-surface temperature derived from routine upwelling longwave radiation measurements, while the lower boundary condition is set to the seasonal temperature gradient at 6.5 m depth, taken from prior measurements at the South Pole. We focus on statistics of temperature, heat fluxes, heating rates and vapour pressures in the top metre of snow, but present results from the full depth of the model (6.5 m). The monthly mean net heat flux into the snow agrees with results from previous studies performed at the South Pole. On shorter timescales, the heating rates and vapour pressures show large variability. The net heat flux into the snow, which is between ±5Wm −2 in the monthly mean, can be greater than ±20 W m −2 on hourly timescales. On sub-daily timescales, heating rates exceed 40 K d −1 in the top 10 cm of the snow. Subsurface temperatures, and therefore heating rates, are more variable during winter (April–September) due to increased synoptic activity and the presence of a strong, surface-based, atmospheric temperature inversion. The largest vapour pressures (60–70 Pa) and vertical gradients of vapour pressure are found in the top metre of snow during the short summer (December–January). In contrast, during the long winter, the low temperatures result in very small vapour pressures and insignificant vapour-pressure gradients. The high summertime vapour-pressure gradients may be important in altering the isotopic composition of snow and ice on the Antarctic plateau. Text Antarc* Antarctic South pole South pole Unknown Antarctic The Antarctic South Pole |
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ABSTRACT. A finite-volume model is used to simulate 9 years (1995–2003) of snow temperatures at the South Pole. The upper boundary condition is skin-surface temperature derived from routine upwelling longwave radiation measurements, while the lower boundary condition is set to the seasonal temperature gradient at 6.5 m depth, taken from prior measurements at the South Pole. We focus on statistics of temperature, heat fluxes, heating rates and vapour pressures in the top metre of snow, but present results from the full depth of the model (6.5 m). The monthly mean net heat flux into the snow agrees with results from previous studies performed at the South Pole. On shorter timescales, the heating rates and vapour pressures show large variability. The net heat flux into the snow, which is between ±5Wm −2 in the monthly mean, can be greater than ±20 W m −2 on hourly timescales. On sub-daily timescales, heating rates exceed 40 K d −1 in the top 10 cm of the snow. Subsurface temperatures, and therefore heating rates, are more variable during winter (April–September) due to increased synoptic activity and the presence of a strong, surface-based, atmospheric temperature inversion. The largest vapour pressures (60–70 Pa) and vertical gradients of vapour pressure are found in the top metre of snow during the short summer (December–January). In contrast, during the long winter, the low temperatures result in very small vapour pressures and insignificant vapour-pressure gradients. The high summertime vapour-pressure gradients may be important in altering the isotopic composition of snow and ice on the Antarctic plateau. |
author2 |
The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives |
format |
Text |
author |
Michael S. Town Edwin D. Waddington Von P. Walden Stephen G. Warren |
spellingShingle |
Michael S. Town Edwin D. Waddington Von P. Walden Stephen G. Warren G.: Temperatures, heating rates and vapour pressures in near-surface snow at the South Pole |
author_facet |
Michael S. Town Edwin D. Waddington Von P. Walden Stephen G. Warren |
author_sort |
Michael S. Town |
title |
G.: Temperatures, heating rates and vapour pressures in near-surface snow at the South Pole |
title_short |
G.: Temperatures, heating rates and vapour pressures in near-surface snow at the South Pole |
title_full |
G.: Temperatures, heating rates and vapour pressures in near-surface snow at the South Pole |
title_fullStr |
G.: Temperatures, heating rates and vapour pressures in near-surface snow at the South Pole |
title_full_unstemmed |
G.: Temperatures, heating rates and vapour pressures in near-surface snow at the South Pole |
title_sort |
g.: temperatures, heating rates and vapour pressures in near-surface snow at the south pole |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.430.3120 http://www.igsoc.org/journal/54/186/t07J080.pdf |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic South Pole |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic South Pole |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic South pole South pole |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic South pole South pole |
op_source |
http://www.igsoc.org/journal/54/186/t07J080.pdf |
op_relation |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.430.3120 http://www.igsoc.org/journal/54/186/t07J080.pdf |
op_rights |
Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. |
_version_ |
1766193224462893056 |