The Surface Condition on the Antarctic Ice Sheet

NOAA AVHRR data reveal clear images of meso-scale (spatial scale on the order of tens of kilometers) undulating topography, surface properties and katabatic wind field on the Antarctic ice sheet. Katabatic wind is visualized as fluctuations of brightness temperature which align parallel to the wind...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Seko, Katsumoto, Furukawa, Teruo, Watanabe, Okitsugu
Other Authors: NAGOYA UNIV (JAPAN)
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1992
Subjects:
Meteorology
Information Science
Snow
Ice and Permafrost
*SURFACE PROPERTIES
*PACK ICE
*DATA ACQUISITION
ACCUMULATION
ALBEDO
AMPLITUDE
IMAGES
PATTERNS
PLATEAUS
SLOPE
TEMPERATURE
TOPOGRAPHY
VARIATIONS
VELOCITY
WIND DIRECTION
WIND VELOCITY
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
*Global climate change
Component Reports
Katabatic winds
Antarctic
Fairbanks
The Antarctic
Antarc*
Ice
Ice Sheet
permafrost
Alaska
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADP007294
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADP007294
Description
Summary:NOAA AVHRR data reveal clear images of meso-scale (spatial scale on the order of tens of kilometers) undulating topography, surface properties and katabatic wind field on the Antarctic ice sheet. Katabatic wind is visualized as fluctuations of brightness temperature which align parallel to the wind direction. The temperature fluctuation is probably caused by the fluctuation of wind velocity. Two typical patterns of undulations on the ice sheet were detected. One of them appears on the slope region where katabatic wind prevails. The band-shaped undulations develop normal to the prevailing wind with a spacing of a few tens of kilometers and an amplitude of a few tens of meters. A few percent of albedo change associated with the variation of accumulation co-exists with the undulation. The eolian process can be considered a dominant force in making this pattern. Another undulating pattern can be seen further inland on the plateau. This undulation has a different orientation with an approximate spacing of 50 km and an amplitude of a few tens of meters. This article is from 'Proceedings of the International Conference on the Role of the Polar Regions in Global Change Held in Fairbanks, Alaska on 11-15 June 1990. Volume 1', AD-A253 027, p238-242. See also Volume 2, AD-A253 028.

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