Chapter 14: Polar Weather

What are some unique aspects of the polar atmosphere relative to the mid-
latitudes?
Katabatic Winds
Katabatic wind a wind that flows downslope under the influence of gravity
Katabatic winds are also known as drainage winds and slope flows.
Eample! "ontinent-wide #ntarctic katabatic winds
Eample! Etreme #ntarctic katabatic winds the #delie "oast
What conditions are necessary for katabatic winds to occur?
- sloped surface
- cooling of air in contact with the surface
$ow is air in contact with the #ntarctic ice sheet cooled?
What type of atmospheric temperature profile results from this cooling?
%all line local downslope direction
What is the direction of #ntarctic katabatic winds relative to the fall line?
"an katabatic winds develop in other locations?
&f so' how do they differ from #ntarctic katabatic winds?
(ome mean wind definitions
%or a time series consisting of N wind observations we can define!
(calar mean wind speed!

V =
1
N
WS
i
i=1
N

where WS
i
is the wind speed of the ith wind observation.
)he hori*ontal wind components +u and v, can be calculated from the wind
speed +WS, and wind direction +WD, as!

u = WS sin(WD)
v = WS cos(WD)
where u is the *onal +east-west, wind component and v is the meridional
+north-south, wind component.
)he mean *onal and meridional winds can be calculated as!

u =
1
N
u
i
i=1
N

v =
1
N
v
i
i=1
N

.esultant wind speed - /ector averaged wind speed

Resultant WS = u
2
+ v
2
)he resultant wind direction +vector averaged wind direction, is given by!

WD= 90
180

tan
1
v
u





+WD
0
where WD
0
0 1234 for

u 53 and WD
0
0 34 for

u 63
)his equation is not valid for

u 03. &n this case WD 0 1234 for

v 53 +south
wind, and WD 0 7834 for

v 63 +north wind,.
&f

u 03 and

v 03 the wind is calm and the wind direction is defined as 34.

Eample! (calar and resultant wind speeds a simple case
"alculate the scalar and resultant wind speed for!
WS
1
0 13 m s
-1
' WD
1
0 7834
WS
1
0 13 m s
-1
' WD
1
0 1234
9irectional constancy +9", the ratio of the vector mean wind speed to the
scalar mean wind speed

DC =
u
2
+ v
2
1
N
v
V
i
i=1
N

)he directional constancy is a measure of how much the wind direction

varies over time at a particular location.
What is the directional constancy of the wind from the previous eample?
Eample! 9irectional constancy of #ntarctic katabatic winds
9ata! Wind observations from )erra :ova ;ay for <arch 1==> +available on
"9-.?<,
Key features of #ntarctic katabatic winds!
- large wind speeds
- large directional constancy
- wind direction 13 to @34 to the left of the local fall line
What are the dynamics of #ntarctic katabatic winds?
"onsider mid-winter conditions in the interior of the #ntarctic ice sheet!
&n order to study the dynamics of katabatic winds we will assume the
atmosphere over the #ntarctic ice sheet consists of two layers' each of
constant density +, and potential temperature +,.
We will assume that the lower layer is of constant depth' and that the
interface between the lower and upper layers is parallel to the underlying
ice slope.
(ince the air near the surface is cooling we will take
bot
6
top
and
bot
5
top
(tart with the hori*ontal components of :avier-(tokes equations and
assume!
- the flow is steady state +

t = 0
,
- the advection terms can be neglected
- the viscous force is important and can be approimated as C
D
Vu in the x-
direction and C
D
Vv in the y-direction
- )he x-ais points in the downslope direction and the y-ais points to the
left of the fall line.
With these assumptions the hori*ontal equations of motion are!

0 =
1

p
x
+ fv C
D
Vu
0 =
1

p
y
fu C
D
Vv
What does each term in these equations represent?
Ase the hydrostatic equation to calculate the pressure at point # in the
figure on the previous page.

p
z
= g
p
p
A
p
B

=
bot
gz
z
A
z
B

p
B
p
A
=
bot
g z
B
z
A
( )
p
A
= p
B
+
bot
g z
B
z
A
( )
)he pressure at point 9 is given by!

p
D
= p
C
+
top
g z
C
z
D
( )
Ase these epressions for the pressure at points # and 9 to calculate the
downslope +x-direction, pressure gradient force.

p
x

1

p
D
p
A
x

1

( p
C
+
top
gh) ( p
B
+
bot
gh)
x

1

p
C
p
B
x
+

top

bot ( )
gh
x








where

is the mean density of the two layers and

x is the hori*ontal
distance between points # and 9
9efine the hori*ontal pressure gradient force between points ; and " as

1

p
C
p
B
x

1

p
x
top
)his term is often referred to as the ambient or background pressure
gradient force.
%rom the geometry illustrated in the figure

h x
0

z x
is the terrain
slope.
)he x-component of the pressure gradient force can then be written as!

p
x
=
1

p
x
top
g

top

bot ( )

z
x
)his can be rewritten by noting that!

top

bot

top

bot

=


' where

is the
mean potential temperature of the two layers and

is the strength of the

temperature inversion.

p
x
=
1

p
x
top
g

z
x
Katabatic force

z
x






the component of the hori*ontal pressure
gradient force that arises solely due to the presence of a potential
temperature inversion over sloping terrain
What is the sign of this term for a potential temperature inversion over
terrain that slopes down in the positive x direction?
What will cause this term to be *ero?
(ince our coordinate system is oriented such that there is no terrain slope
in the y-direction the hori*ontal pressure gradient force in the y-direction is
given by!

p
y
=
1

p
y
top
Asing these epressions for the hori*ontal components of the pressure
gradient force the hori*ontal equations of motion for katabatic winds are!
9ownslope momentum equation!

0 =
1

p
x
top
g

z
x
+ fv C
D
Vu
"ross-slope momentum equation!

0 =
1

p
y
top
fu C
D
Vv
?ften the background pressure gradient force terms are neglected and the
katabatic wind results from a balance between the katabatic force' the
"oriolis force' and the frictional force.
What wind direction results if we neglect the frictional force +%r,' the "oriolis
force +"o%,' or consider all three forces +katabatic' "oriolis' and frictional,
balancing?
We can solve our hori*ontal momentum equations that describe katabatic
winds for the katabatic wind speed +V, and deviation angle +,.
9eviation angle +,! )he angle of the wind from the terrain fall line' with
positive values taken for winds that are directed to the left of the fall line

cos =
f
C
D
+
f
2
C
D
2
+ 4
g
f

z
x






2

0.5
2
g
f

z
x

V =
g
f

z
x
sin
=
g
C
D

z
x
cos

0.5

u =V cos
v =V sin
Eample! "alculate the downslope and cross-slope components of an
ideali*ed katabatic flow
Biven!
0 >@4(

bot
0 C73 K

top
0 C@3 K

z x
0 -3.33C
C
D
0 1.8>13
-@
m
-1
#ssume that the background pressure gradient force is negligible.
What is the direction of the katabatic wind relative to the fall line?
What is the katabatic wind speed?
What are the u and v components of this wind?
#ntarctic katabatic winds and the circulation of the high latitudes of the
(outhern hemisphere
Barrier Winds
What happens when stably stratified air is directed towards a topographic
barrier?
%roude number!

Fr =
V
gH

0.5
V wind speed towards barrier
H height of barrier
- potential temperature difference between top and bottom of barrier
- potential temperature of flow approaching the barrier
)he %roude number is proportional to the ratio of the kinetic energy of the
flow to the potential energy required for the flow to pass over the barrier.
%or Fr51 the flow will pass over the barrier
%or Fr61 the flow is blocked by the barrier
What conditions lead to Fr51 and Fr61?
Eample! %low across the .oss &ce (helf' #ntarctica
Biven!
- Easterly wind of 13 m s
-1
directed towards the )ransantarctic <ountains
- Elevation of )ransantarctic <ountains 0 C333 m
- Dotential temperature of near surface air over the .oss ice shelf 0 C83 K
- Dotential temperature difference between the top and bottom of the
)ransantarctic <ountains 0 13 K
What is the %roude number for these conditions?
What does this imply about the ability of this flow to pass over the
)ransantarctic mountains?
What is the atmospheric response to a blocked flow +Fr61,?
"onsider an atmosphere with two layers' each with uniform density and
potential temperature
%or these layers we will take
bot
6
top
and
bot
5
top
+stable stratification,
h is the undisturbed depth of the lower layer and h is change in depth of
the lower layer due to flow blocking by the terrain.
Asing the hydrostatic equation the pressure at points # and 9 can be
calculated as!

p
A
= p
B
+
bot
h + h ( )g

p
D
= p
C
+
bot
hg +
top
hg
)he pressure difference between points # and 9 is given by!

p
A
p
D
= p
B
+
bot
h + h ( )g p
C

bot
hg
top
hg
= p
B
p
C
+
bot
hg
bot
hg +
bot
hg
top
hg
= p
B
p
C
+
bot

top ( )
hg
&f there is no hori*ontal pressure difference between points ; and " the
pressure difference between points # and 9 reduces to!

p
A
p
D
=
bot

top ( )
hg
&s this pressure difference positive or negative?
Eample! "alculate the pressure difference for flow on the .oss &ce (helf
blocked by the )ransantarctic <ountains
Biven!
0 234(
Andisturbed lower layer depth 0 @33 m
9epth of lower layer adEacent to )ransantarctic <ountains 0 1333 m
9ensity of bottom layer 0 1.7 kg m
-7
9ensity of upper layer 0 1.C kg m
-7
$ow does the atmosphere respond to this pressure difference?
.ossby radius of deformation +r
R
, the hori*ontal distance over which the
atmosphere will adEust to geostrophic balance

r
R
=
1
f
gh

bot






0.5
What is the .ossby radius of deformation for the eample above?
We can estimate the hori*ontal pressure gradient for a blocked flow as!

p
x

p
r
R
)he geostrophic wind induced by blocked flow can then be calculated as!

v
g
=
1
f
p
x

v
g

1
f
p
r
R
;arrier wind the geostrophic wind that develops in response to a blocked
flow
What is the geostrophic wind speed for the blocked flow in the eample
above?
What is the geostrophic wind direction?
What conditions lead to the development of barrier winds on the .oss ice
shelf?
;arrier winds on the .oss &ce (helf! 1C A)" 11 <arch C33@