On the Heat Energy Fluxes in the Non-stationary
Surface Boundary Layer at Hells Gâte,
Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica)
S. Ferrarese1, C. Cassardo2, A. Longhetto1, D. Bertoni1, R. Forza1, G. Ficca3,
M. Pangia3 and R. Purini3+4
’Dipartimento di Fisica Generale, Université, Torino, Italy
2Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Avanzate, Université, Alessandria, Italy
3Istituto di Fisica dell’Atmosfera, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Roma, Italy
4Istituto Talassografico, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Trieste, Italy
Abstract
Within the Framework of scientific activities of the Italian Antarctic Expédition at
Terra Nova Bay (74° 41’42”S, 164° 7’23”E) during the southern-summer of 1994-95,
an uninterrupted three week programme of measurement of sensible and latent
turbulent heat fluxes has been run at two locations, 5 km apart from each other, of
Hells Gâte ice shelf (inner mast: 74° 50’8.3”S, 163° 44’ 2.8E, 19.85 m a.s.l.; Coastal
mast: 74°52’ 20.2”S, 163° 49’ 6.4”E, 12.47 m a.s.l.). The aim of the programme was to
assess the transfer of heat energy (in particular, its latent component) at the air/ice
interface as a function of different atmospheric forcings (wind, température, solar
radiation) in order to describe the State and évolution of the thermal properties of
the non stationary atmospheric boundary layer near the surface. To this end, a
prognostic enthalpy balance model, whose input data was the information collected during the experimental programmeras been used to establish the relative rôle
played by the different terms concurring to the heat energy budget under different
meteorological conditions, ranging from moderate breeze to strong katabatic wind
épisodes. The experiment involved the collaboration between teams from the
Department of Physics, University of Torino and the Institute of Atmospheric
Physics of National Research Council in Roma. This paper reviews the experimental and analytic méthodologies and discusses the most meaningful results.
1 Introduction
The Antarctic continent is characterized by the presence of katabatic winds which
are induced by strong radiative cooling of air masses on the internai plateau. These
winds, channelled by the glacier valleys, finally affect some Coastal oceanic areas,
since they are the main factors responsible for the formation and persistence of the
polynyas, that is, an opening in the pack ice. Therefore, the katabatic winds are
important features both for Antarctic meteorology and for their impact on the
marine environment [1,2]. In this context, during the Antarctic expédition 19941995 organized by the Italian National Programme for Antarctic Research (PNRA),
the heat energy fluxes in the surface boundary layer in the terminal région of con
Surface Boundary Layer at Hells Gâte,
Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica)
S. Ferrarese1, C. Cassardo2, A. Longhetto1, D. Bertoni1, R. Forza1, G. Ficca3,
M. Pangia3 and R. Purini3+4
’Dipartimento di Fisica Generale, Université, Torino, Italy
2Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Avanzate, Université, Alessandria, Italy
3Istituto di Fisica dell’Atmosfera, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Roma, Italy
4Istituto Talassografico, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Trieste, Italy
Abstract
Within the Framework of scientific activities of the Italian Antarctic Expédition at
Terra Nova Bay (74° 41’42”S, 164° 7’23”E) during the southern-summer of 1994-95,
an uninterrupted three week programme of measurement of sensible and latent
turbulent heat fluxes has been run at two locations, 5 km apart from each other, of
Hells Gâte ice shelf (inner mast: 74° 50’8.3”S, 163° 44’ 2.8E, 19.85 m a.s.l.; Coastal
mast: 74°52’ 20.2”S, 163° 49’ 6.4”E, 12.47 m a.s.l.). The aim of the programme was to
assess the transfer of heat energy (in particular, its latent component) at the air/ice
interface as a function of different atmospheric forcings (wind, température, solar
radiation) in order to describe the State and évolution of the thermal properties of
the non stationary atmospheric boundary layer near the surface. To this end, a
prognostic enthalpy balance model, whose input data was the information collected during the experimental programmeras been used to establish the relative rôle
played by the different terms concurring to the heat energy budget under different
meteorological conditions, ranging from moderate breeze to strong katabatic wind
épisodes. The experiment involved the collaboration between teams from the
Department of Physics, University of Torino and the Institute of Atmospheric
Physics of National Research Council in Roma. This paper reviews the experimental and analytic méthodologies and discusses the most meaningful results.
1 Introduction
The Antarctic continent is characterized by the presence of katabatic winds which
are induced by strong radiative cooling of air masses on the internai plateau. These
winds, channelled by the glacier valleys, finally affect some Coastal oceanic areas,
since they are the main factors responsible for the formation and persistence of the
polynyas, that is, an opening in the pack ice. Therefore, the katabatic winds are
important features both for Antarctic meteorology and for their impact on the
marine environment [1,2]. In this context, during the Antarctic expédition 19941995 organized by the Italian National Programme for Antarctic Research (PNRA),
the heat energy fluxes in the surface boundary layer in the terminal région of con