The Variability of the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer in the Greenland Sea Marginal Ice Zone - A Case Study

• Main Author: Dinkler, Karl L.
• Other Authors: NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1988
• Subjects: Meteorology; *MARINE ATMOSPHERES; *BOUNDARY LAYER; AIR FLOW; WIND; THESES; PROFILES; VERTICAL ORIENTATION; RADIOSONDES; PARALLEL ORIENTATION; MIXED LAYER(MARINE); MOISTURE; AIR WATER INTERACTIONS; TROPOSPHERE; HUMIDITY; SEA ICE; GREENLAND SEA; OCEAN SURFACE; EDGES; *ATMOSPHERIC BOUNDARY LAYER; MARGINAL ICE ZONE; Greenland; East Greenland; Fram Strait; Greenland Sea; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA204844; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA204844

The vertical structure of the atmospheric boundary layer in the East Greenland Sea/Fram Strait marginal ice zone (MIZ) is examined for various wind flow regimes with respect to the ice edge. Rawinsonde profiles and surface observations collected from three ships during MIZEX-87 (20 March - 11 April 1987) served as the data set for the examination. Three specific flow regimes are discussed: On-ice flow, off-ice flow, and flow parallel to the ice. On-ice flow resulted in deep, moist mixed layers capped by high weak inversions at the MIZ. Off-ice flow resulted in multiple surface and elevated inversions, with specific humidity highest within an elevated lower-tropospheric layer and dry regions near the surface and aloft. Parallel flow led to the development of strikingly different boundary layer regimes separated by the ice edge: Over ice, deep surface and elevated inversions were associated with alternating moist and dry layers in the lower troposphere; over water, multiple elevated inversions were associated with an elevated lower-tropospheric moist layer and dry regions near the surface and alot. Possible physical processes important for the development of the observed features are discussed. Theses.