Abstract: Katabatic flows largely dominate the climate of the Adelie Land coastal region. A detailed climatological data analysis of Dumont d'Urville has been conducted. Results of this study support the idea that katabatic flow can be locally enhanced by the diurnal cycle of solar insolation and the temperature contrast between the continent and the ocean. The interaction between katabatic wind and local thermal effects is expressed in terms of scale analysis. Except for surface stress, all terms in the momentum equation for a katabatic flow in a coastal region of Antarctica can reach the same order of magnitude. The local circulation then is the result of a relatively tenuous force balance which can be disrupted even by a weak perturbation of any term. To estimate the effect of the temperature contrast between the ocean and the continent on the katabatic flow, two numerical experiments have been conducted. The simulations consider an ocean free of sea ice representative of the summer months, and another winter case with the ocean covered by thick sea ice. These simulations show that with the ocean free of sea ice, the katabatic flows extend only a limited distance over the open ocean during the day due to the local thermal effects. With the ocean covered by sea ice, the katabatic winds are not constrained and extend a considerable distance offshore.

Abstract: Samples of precipitation and atmospheric water vapor were collected together with shallow firn/ice cores as part of the new deep drilling project in northwest Greenland: the NEEM project. These samples were analyzed for their isotope composition to understand the processes affecting the climatic signal archived in the water stable isotope records from the NEEM deep ice core. The dominant moisture source for the snow deposited at the NEEM-site may be originating as far south as 35N from the western part of the Atlantic Ocean. The surface atmospheric water vapor appears in isotopic equilibrium with the snow surface indicating a large water exchange between the atmosphere and snowpack. The interannual variability of NEEM shallow firn/ice cores stable isotope data covering the last ~40 years shows an unexpectedly weak NAO signal. Regional to global atmospheric models simulate a dominant summer precipitation in the NEEM area, suggesting that the intermittency of modern winter precipitation is responsible for the lack of a strong NAO imprint. The interannual variability of NEEM isotope data however shows a strong correlation with interannual variations of Baffin Bay sea ice cover, a relationship consistent with air mass trajectories. NEEM deep ice core isotopic records may therefore provide detailed information on past Baffin Bay sea ice extent. NEEM stable water isotope content increasing trend points to a local warming trend of ~3.0C over the last 40 years.

Abstract: We analyze a 1 year campaign of 17 ozonesondes launched in 2008–2009 at Kerguelen Island (49.2°S, 70.1°E), the first such soundings performed at this location. Tropospheric ozone presents a large variability in austral summer (December to February) and austral winter (June to September). The baseline tropospheric ozone is higher in winter (between 30 and 50 ppbv) than in summer (between 20 and 40 ppbv). We compare these observations to a data set obtained during the same period at Lauder (45.0°S, 169.7°E), which presents a marked seasonal pattern. The analysis of trajectory runs and reanalysis output help identify two significant contributors to the tropospheric ozone level at Kerguelen: the stratosphere-to-troposphere air mass transport and the long-range transport of biomass burning plumes. The stratosphere-to-troposphere transport is exemplified by a case study of a dry and enriched ozone layer over Kerguelen (70 ppbv at an altitude of 6 km on 28 February 2009). Using Lagrangian model simulations, we show that wintertime enhancement of the tropospheric ozone baseline can be partially attributed to the long-range transport of ozone precursors from biomass burning plumes originating in southern America and Africa. However, owing to limited data and to the many factors that can cause this wintertime baseline ozone enhancement, further investigations are needed to fully explain it. Additional measurements are also needed to establish an ozone climatology, to further characterize the ozone annual cycle and wintertime enhancement, and to better compare Kerguelen with other midlatitude sites.

Abstract: Six levels of meteorological sensors have been deployed along a 45 m tower at the French-Italian Concordia station, Dome C, Antarctic. We present measurements of vertical profiles, the diurnal cycle, and interdiurnal variability of temperature, humidity, and wind speed and direction for 3 weeks during the southern summer of 2008. These measurements are compared to 6-hourly European Center for Medium-Range Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses and daily radiosoundings. The ECMWF analyses show a 3–4C warm bias relative to the tower observations. They reproduce the diurnal cycle of temperature with slightly weaker amplitude and weaker vertical gradients. The amplitude of the diurnal cycle of relative humidity is overestimated by ECMWF because the amplitude of the absolute humidity diurnal cycle is too small. The nighttime surface-based wind shear and Ekman spiral is also not reproduced in the ECMWF analyses. Radiosonde temperatures are biased low relative to the tower observations in the lowest 30 m but approach agreement at the top of the tower. Prior to bias correction for age-related contamination, radiosonde relative humidities are biased low relative to the tower observations in the lowest 10 m but agree with tower observations above this height. After correction for the age-related bias, the radiosonde relative humidity agrees with tower observations below 10 m but is biased high above this height. Tower temperature observations may also be biased by solar heating, despite radiation shielding and natural ventilation.