A Numerical Study of Strong Katabatic Winds over Antarctica

Abstract

Certain coastal sections of Antarctica, most notably Adelie Land and Terra Nova Bay, experience anomalously intense, persistent katabatic winds. The forcing of such katabatic outflow is believed to originate several hundred kilometers upslope in the interior of the continent where cold air drainage currents from a large area converge into a relatively narrow zone focused on the steeply-sloping ice terrain near the coastline. Numerical simulations with a three-dimensional hydrostatic model incorporating terrain features representative of Adelie Land reveal a significant topographical channeling of the surface airflow. Katabatic wind speeds as depicted by the model are greatly enhanced downslope of the convergence channel. These results emphasize the importance of topography in the continental interior in shaping the character of coastal katabatic flow.