Continental-Scale Simulation of the Antarctic Katabatic Wind Regime

Abstract

Katabatic winds are a common feature of the lower Antarctic atmosphere. Although these drainage flows are quite shallow, there is increasing evidence that the low-level circulations are an important component in establishing large-scale tropospheric motions in the high southern latitudes. Three-dimensional numerical simulations of the Antarctic katabatic wind regime and attendant tropospheric circulations have been conducted over the entire continent to depict the topographically forced drainage patterns in the near-surface layer of the atmosphere. Results of the simulation enable a mapping of katabatic wind potential and identification of coastal regions which may experience anomalously intense katabatic winds. A large upper-level cyclonic circulation forms rapidly in response to the evolving katabatic wind structure in the lower atmosphere, suggesting that the drainage circulations are an important component in prescribing the resulting resulting circumpolar vortex. These results imply that som... Abstract Katabatic winds are a common feature of the lower Antarctic atmosphere. Although these drainage flows are quite shallow, there is increasing evidence that the low-level circulations are an important component in establishing large-scale tropospheric motions in the high southern latitudes. Three-dimensional numerical simulations of the Antarctic katabatic wind regime and attendant tropospheric circulations have been conducted over the entire continent to depict the topographically forced drainage patterns in the near-surface layer of the atmosphere. Results of the simulation enable a mapping of katabatic wind potential and identification of coastal regions which may experience anomalously intense katabatic winds. A large upper-level cyclonic circulation forms rapidly in response to the evolving katabatic wind structure in the lower atmosphere, suggesting that the drainage circulations are an important component in prescribing the resulting resulting circumpolar vortex. These results imply that som...