Numerical simulation of katabatic wind at Mizuho Station, East Antarctica

• Main Authors: Takashi Adachi, Sadao Kawaguchi
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Research Institute of Japan Weather Association 1984
• Subjects: East Antarctica; Mizuho; Mizuho Station; Antarc*; Antarctica; Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research; Polar Research
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=1669; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00001669/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=1669&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

Twenty-six pairs of vertical profiles of wind vectors and air temperatures for typical katabatic winds are chosen from about 70 aerological data of low altitude radiosondes and automatic tracking systems at Mizuho Station, East Antarctica during 1980 (as observed by S. KAWAGUCHI et al. : Mem. Natl Inst. Polar Res., Spec. Issue, 24,77,1982), and averaged after normalization using katabatic wind layer thickness, surface wind vector, and difference of potential temperature between the top of the katabatic wind layer and the surface. The wind spiral, vertical profiles of the two horizontal wind components, eddy diffusivity, friction velocity, heat flux and local Monin-Obukhov length are calculated with the numerical model of stationary katabatic winds developed by T. ADACHI (Antarct. Rec., 67,64,1979) where not only the two wind components but also eddy diffusivity are unknown. Therefore, this model is superior to the simple K-theory with a known eddy diffusivity. Numerical solutions for katabatic wind profiles agree well with the above-mentioned averaged profiles observed at Mizuho Station.