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A four-year record of the meteorological parameters, radiative and turbulent energy fluxes at the edge of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, close to Schirmacher Oasis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2013

H.S. Gusain ,
V.D. Mishra  and
M.K. Arora
H.S. Gusain*
Affiliation:
Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, Research and Development Centre, Plot No. 1, Sector 37-A, Chandigarh, India 160 036
V.D. Mishra
Affiliation:
Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, Research and Development Centre, Plot No. 1, Sector 37-A, Chandigarh, India 160 036
M.K. Arora
Affiliation:
Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India 247 667
*
gusain_hs@yahoo.co.in
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Abstract

Surface energy fluxes of the ice sheet close to oases (ice-free land regions) are crucial in the case of retreating ice sheet and growing oasis areas. This study presents a four-year record of the meteorological parameters, radiative and turbulent energy fluxes at the edge of the Antarctic ice sheet, close to Schirmacher Oasis in Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica from March 2007–February 2011. The energy fluxes were analysed for summer season, winter season and transition periods. High katabatic winds were observed during winter (seasonal mean 9.3 m s-1) as compared to other seasons. A high correlation (r2 = 0.89) was observed between the glacier surface temperature and air temperature, and regression relations were obtained for summer, winter and transition periods. The net radiative flux was the main heat source to the glacier during summer (46.8 W m-2) and heat sink during winter (-42.2 W m-2). Sensible heat flux (annual mean 32 W m-2) was the heat source and latent heat flux (annual mean -61 W m-2) was the heat sink to the glacier surface, averaged over all seasons. Comparison with other coastal or dry valley locations in Antarctica show that low humidity (50%), high katabatic winds (8.3 m s-1) and mild surface (-11.4°C) and air temperature (-10.2°C) contribute to high latent heat flux at the present study location.

Keywords

albedolatent heat fluxnet longwave radiation fluxnet shortwave radiation fluxsensible heat flux
Type
Physical Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , February 2014 , pp. 93 - 103
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2013 

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