Macrophysical properties and a climatology of Arctic coastal fog in East Greenland

• Main Authors: Gilson, Gaëlle Florence, University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
• Other Authors: Jiskoot, Hester
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Lethbridge, Alta. : Universtiy of Lethbridge, Department of Geography 2018
• Subjects: Arctic summer fog; Cryosphere; Fog > Arctic regions; Fog > Greenland; Greenland > Climate; liquid fog; Coasts > Greenland; Coasts > Arctic regions; Arctic regions > Climate; Climatic changes; Temperature inversions > Greenland; Arctic; Canada; Greenland; East Greenland
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10133/5038

Arctic summer fog is a major transportation hazard and has implications for the cryospheric energy balance. In this thesis, the climatology and macrophysical properties of fog along the coast of East Greenland are explored, and local to mesoscale environmental conditions studied to explain regional differences. Using a combination of long-term synoptic weather observations and Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive data, novel automated methods were developed to classify liquid fog thermodynamic structure and calculate fog top elevation. Six fog types were identified; several of which could be associated with advection fog formation and dissipation processes. Temperature inversions during fog were deeper and stronger compared to non-fog conditions. At Low-Arctic locations fog was geometrically thin and occurred below the temperature inversion. Fog was thicker in the High-Arctic, often penetrating the inversion layer. The radiosonde data analysis and automated methods presented are applicable to any synoptic Arctic weather station with present weather codes. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada; Alberta Innovates Technology Futures.