One of the aims of the Surface Processes in the Antarctic Climate Project is a better understanding of katabatic flows. These are the downslope buoyancy driven flows that dominate the surface winds of the Antarctic continent - or do they? Read my recent Tellus paper to find out more. The automatic weather station data used in this study are available from my data page. If dynamics is more your cup of tea, contact me for a copy of my recently submitted numerical modelling study. Here I use a state-of-the-art numerical weather prediction model RAMS - a Regional Atmospheric Modeling System - to simulate archetypal katabatic flows.
Renfrew, I. A. 2003:
The dynamics of idealised katabatic flow over a moderate slope and ice shelf,
Submitted to Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc.
The abstract is here.
Please contact me for a copy.
Renfrew, I. A. and P. S. Anderson, 2002:
The surface climatology of an ordinary katabatic wind regime in Coats Land,
Antarctica. Tellus, 54A, 463-484.
The abstract is here.
Please contact me for a reprint.