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Investigation of the Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer at Halley Antarctica

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Abstract

Boundary-layer measurements from the Brunt Ice Shelf, Antarctica are analyzed to determine flux–profile relationships. Dimensionless quantities are derived in the standard approach from estimates of wind shear, potential temperature gradient, Richardson number, eddy diffusivities for momentum and heat, Prandtl number, mixing length and turbulent kinetic energy. Nieuwstadt local scaling theory for the stable atmospheric boundary-layer appears to work well departing only slightly from expressions found in mid-latitudes. An \(E\)–\(l_{\mathrm{m}}\) single-column model of the stable boundary layer is implemented based on local scaling arguments. Simulations based on the first GEWEX Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Study case study are validated against ensemble-averaged profiles for various stability classes. A stability-dependent function of the dimensionless turbulent kinetic energy allows a better fit to the ensemble profiles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. von Karman Institute, Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium

    Javier Sanz Rodrigo

  2. British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK

    Philip S. Anderson

  3. Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, UK

    Philip S. Anderson

  4. National Renewable Energy Centre of Spain (CENER), Sarriguren, Spain

    Javier Sanz Rodrigo

Authors
  1. Javier Sanz Rodrigo
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  2. Philip S. Anderson
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Correspondence to Javier Sanz Rodrigo.

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Rodrigo, J.S., Anderson, P.S. Investigation of the Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer at Halley Antarctica. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 148, 517–539 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-013-9831-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-013-9831-0

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