Abstract
Data from six automatic weather stations deployed around the interior of the
Lambert Glacier basin, Antarctica, at surface elevations of 1830-2741 m are used
to compile a surface climatology of this part of interior Antarctica for the
period 1994-96. The stations measure air pressure, near-surface wind speed and air
temperature at several levels, wind direction and firn temperatures. The
topography of the basin, which extends more than 800 km inland, controls the
katabatic wind regime and strongly influences the surface climate of the region.
Windiest sites are on the steep coastal slopes, and within the depression of the
Lambert and Mellor Ice Streams where the flow is topographically channelled.
Surface winds here show greater seasonal variation in speed but less variation in
direction than elsewhere. The annual mean temperatures on the relatively steep
slopes on the eastern side of the basin are 4-5°C warmer than at equivalent
altitude on the western side. During winter, near-synchronous synoptic temperature
and pressure increases occur throughout the basin to at least 1000 km from the
coast. There is a consistent pattern of diurnal wind variation in the summer at
all stations, with maximum wind speed at about 0900 LST (local solar time), and
the most easterly direction at 1300 LST.
Publisher
International Glaciological Society
Cited by
22 articles.
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