Characteristics of low-level temperature inversions, Whitehorse Yukon Territory: 1956--2003
Near-surface air temperature inversions are a common element of northern environments. Seasonal and inter-annual variations of low-level inversion characteristics were examined using 47 years of twice-daily radiosonde data from Whitehorse airport (1956-2003). Nocturnal low-level inversion events occ...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Format: | Thesis |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
2009
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-12443 http://www.ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/28207 |
id |
ftdatacite:10.20381/ruor-12443 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdatacite:10.20381/ruor-12443 2023-05-15T17:57:46+02:00 Characteristics of low-level temperature inversions, Whitehorse Yukon Territory: 1956--2003 Lovatt, Angeline 2009 https://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-12443 http://www.ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/28207 en eng Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa Geography. Text Thesis article-journal ScholarlyArticle 2009 ftdatacite https://doi.org/10.20381/ruor-12443 2021-11-05T12:55:41Z Near-surface air temperature inversions are a common element of northern environments. Seasonal and inter-annual variations of low-level inversion characteristics were examined using 47 years of twice-daily radiosonde data from Whitehorse airport (1956-2003). Nocturnal low-level inversion events occurred throughout the year in 68% of the 0400h PST radiosonde ascents. Afternoon (1600h PST) inversion events, in contrast, were primarily a winter phenomena, limited to 24% of the readings between October and March, and were deepest and strongest during the winter months. Shorter, weaker, lower magnitude inversions appeared progressively more frequently during the 1974-2003 warming at Whitehorse. The impact (1956-2003) of regular low-level inversions on near surface temperatures in the Yukon River Valley is estimated to be an average annual reduction of -3.4°C. That is to say, in the absence of surface-based temperature inversion effects, the mean annual near-surface-temperature for Whitehorse (-0.7°C) would exceed 1°C, a temperature threshold at which permafrost could not be maintained. Overall inversion impact declined by about 1.5°C between 1956-1973 and 1974-2003. Thesis permafrost Whitehorse Yukon river Yukon DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) Yukon |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftdatacite |
language |
English |
topic |
Geography. |
spellingShingle |
Geography. Lovatt, Angeline Characteristics of low-level temperature inversions, Whitehorse Yukon Territory: 1956--2003 |
topic_facet |
Geography. |
description |
Near-surface air temperature inversions are a common element of northern environments. Seasonal and inter-annual variations of low-level inversion characteristics were examined using 47 years of twice-daily radiosonde data from Whitehorse airport (1956-2003). Nocturnal low-level inversion events occurred throughout the year in 68% of the 0400h PST radiosonde ascents. Afternoon (1600h PST) inversion events, in contrast, were primarily a winter phenomena, limited to 24% of the readings between October and March, and were deepest and strongest during the winter months. Shorter, weaker, lower magnitude inversions appeared progressively more frequently during the 1974-2003 warming at Whitehorse. The impact (1956-2003) of regular low-level inversions on near surface temperatures in the Yukon River Valley is estimated to be an average annual reduction of -3.4°C. That is to say, in the absence of surface-based temperature inversion effects, the mean annual near-surface-temperature for Whitehorse (-0.7°C) would exceed 1°C, a temperature threshold at which permafrost could not be maintained. Overall inversion impact declined by about 1.5°C between 1956-1973 and 1974-2003. |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Lovatt, Angeline |
author_facet |
Lovatt, Angeline |
author_sort |
Lovatt, Angeline |
title |
Characteristics of low-level temperature inversions, Whitehorse Yukon Territory: 1956--2003 |
title_short |
Characteristics of low-level temperature inversions, Whitehorse Yukon Territory: 1956--2003 |
title_full |
Characteristics of low-level temperature inversions, Whitehorse Yukon Territory: 1956--2003 |
title_fullStr |
Characteristics of low-level temperature inversions, Whitehorse Yukon Territory: 1956--2003 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Characteristics of low-level temperature inversions, Whitehorse Yukon Territory: 1956--2003 |
title_sort |
characteristics of low-level temperature inversions, whitehorse yukon territory: 1956--2003 |
publisher |
Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
https://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-12443 http://www.ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/28207 |
geographic |
Yukon |
geographic_facet |
Yukon |
genre |
permafrost Whitehorse Yukon river Yukon |
genre_facet |
permafrost Whitehorse Yukon river Yukon |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.20381/ruor-12443 |
_version_ |
1766166270292525056 |