Abstract
We use wind speed and temperature measurements taken along a 45-m meteorological tower located at Dome C, Antarctica (\(75.06^{\circ }\hbox {S}\), \(123.19^{\circ }\hbox {E}\)) to highlight and characterize the Ekman spiral. Firstly, temperature records reveal that the atmospheric boundary layer at Dome C is stable during winter and summer nights (i.e., \(>\)85 % of the time). The wind vector, in both speed and direction, also shows a strong dependence with elevation. An Ekman model was then fitted to the measurements. Results show that the wind vector follows the Ekman spiral structure for more than 20 % of the year (2009). Most Ekman spirals have been detected during summer nights, that is, when the boundary layer is slightly stratified. During these episodes, the boundary-layer height ranged from 25 to 100 m, the eddy viscosity from 0.004 to \(0.06~\hbox {m}^2~\hbox {s}^{-1}\), and the Richardson number from zero to 1.6.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Argentini S, Viola A, Sempreviva AM, Petenko I (2005) Summer boundary-layer height at the plateau site of Dome C, Antarctica. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 115:409–422. doi:10.1007/s10546-004-5643-6
Aristidi E, Agabi K, Azouit M, Fossat E, Vernin J, Travouillon T, Lawrence JS, Meyer C, Storey JWV, Halter B, Roth WL, Walden V (2005) An analysis of temperatures and wind speeds above Dome C, Antarctica. Astron Astrophys 430:739–746. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041876
Barral H, Vignon E, Bazile E, Traullé O, Gallée H, Genthon C, Brun C, Couvreux F, Le Moigne P (2014) Summer diurnal cycle at Dome C on the Antartic Plateau. In: 21st symposium on boundary layer and turbulence
Casasanta G, Pietroni I, Petenko I, Argentini S (2014) Observed and modelled convective mixing-layer height at Dome C, Antarctica. Bounday-Layer Meteorol 151:587–608. doi:10.1007/s10546-014-9907-5
Connolley WM (1996) The Antarctic temperature inversion. Int J Climatol 16:1333–1342
Ekman VW (1905) On the influence of the Earth’s rotation on ocean currents. Ark Mat Astron Fys 2:1–53
Gallée H, Barral H, Vignon E, Genthon C (2015) A case study of a low level jet during OPALE. Atmos Chem Phys Discuss 14:31,091–31,109. doi:10.5194/acp-15-1-2015
Gallée H, Preunkert S, Argentini S, Frey MM, Genthon C, Jourdain B, Pietroni I, Casasanta G, Barral H, Vignon E, Legrand M, Amory C (2015) Characterization of the boundary layer at Dome C (East Antarctica) during the OPALE summer campaign. Atmos Chem Phys 15:6225–6236. doi:10.5194/acp-15-6225-2015
Genthon C, Town MS, Six D, Favier V, Argentini S, Pellegrini A (2010) Meteorological atmospheric boundary layer measurements and ECMWF analyses during summer at Dome C, Antarctica. J Geophys Res Atmos 115:D05104. doi:10.1029/2009JD012741
Genthon C, Gallée H, Six D, Grigioni P, Pellegrini A (2013) Two years of atmospheric boundary layer observation on a 45-m tower at Dome C on the Antarctic plateau. J Geophys Res Atmos 118:3218–3232. doi:10.1002/jgrd.50128
Georgiadis T, Argentini S, Mastrantonio G, Sozzi AVR, Nardino M (2002) Boundary layer convective-like activity at Dome Concordia, Antarctica. Nuovo Cim C Geophys Sp Phys C 25:425
Grachev AA, Fairall CW, Persson POG, Andreas EL, Guest PS (2005) Stable boundary-layer scaling regimes: the Sheba data. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 116:201–235. doi:10.1007/s10546-004-2729-0
Hagelin S, Masciadri E, Lascaux F, Stoesz J (2008) Comparison of the atmosphere above the South Pole, Dome C and Dome A: first attempt. Mon Not R Astron Soc 1510:1499–1510. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13361.x
Holton J (1992) An introduction to dynamic meteorology. Academic Press, San Diego, 511 pp
Holtslag AAM, Svensson G, Baas P, Basu S, Beare B, Beljaars ACM, Bosveld FC, Cuxart J, Lindvall J, Steeneveld GJ, Tjernström M, Van de Wiel BJH (2013) Stable boundary layers and diurnal cycles. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 94:1691–1706
Hudson SR, Brandt RE (2005) A look at the surface-based temperature inversion on the Antarctic Plateau. J Clim 18:1673–1696. doi:10.1175/JCLI3360.1
King JC, Turner J (1997) Antarctic meteorology and climatology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 409 pp
King JC, Argentini SA, Anderson PS (2006) Contrasts between the summertime surface energy balance and boundary layer structure at Dome C and Halley stations, Antarctica. J Geophys Res Atmos 111:D02105. doi:10.1029/2005JD006130
Kottmeier C (1986) Shallow gravity flows over the Ekstrm ice shelf. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 35(1–2):1–20
Kuhn M, Lettau H, Riordan AJ (1977) Stability wind spiraling in the lowest 32 m. In: Meteorological studies at Plateau Station, Antarctica. Paper 7, Antarctic Research Series, vol 25, pp 93–l I I
Lettau H (1950) A reexamination of the “Leipzig wind profile” considering some relations between wind and turbulence in the frictional layer. Tellus 2(2):125–129
Lettau H, Riordan A, Kuhn M (1977) Air temperature and two-dimensional wind profiles in the lowest 32 m as a function of bulk stability. In: Businger JA (ed) Meteorological studies at Plateau station, Antarctica. Antarctic Research Series, vol 25, American Geophysical Union, Washington, pp 77–91
Levenberg K (1944) A method for the solution of certain non-linear problems in least squares. Quart Appl Math 2:164–168
Mahrt L, Schwerdtfeger W (1970) Ekman spirals for exponential thermal wind. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 1(2):137–145
Mastrantonio G, Malvestuto V, Argentini S, Georgiadis T, Viola A (1999) Evidence of a convective boundary layer developing on the Antarctic plateau during the summer. Meteorol Atmos Phys 71:127–132. doi:10.1007/s007030050050
Mildner P (1932) Über die Reibung in einer speziellen Luftmasse in den untersten Schichten der Atmosphäre. Beitr Phys freien Atmosphäre 19:151–158
Pietroni I, Argentini S, Petenko I, Sozzi R (2012) Measurements and parametrizations of the atmospheric boundary-layer height at Dome C, Antarctica. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 143:189–206. doi:10.1007/s10546-011-9675-4
Rysman JF, Verrier S, Lahellec A, Genthon C (2015) Analysis of boundary-layer statistical properties at Dome C, Antarctica. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 156:1–11
Sandu I, Beljaars A, Balsamo G (2014) Improving the representation of stable boundary layers. ECMWF Newsl 138:24–31
Van Ulden A, Wieringa J (1996) Atmospheric boundary layer research at Cabauw. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 78:34–69
Zilitinkevich SS (2002) Third-order transport due to internal waves and non-local turbulence in the stably stratified surface layer. Q J R Meteorol Soc 128(581):913–925
Zilitinkevich S, Esau I, Baklanov A (2007) Further comments on the equilibrium height of neutral and stable planetary boundary layers. Q J R Meteorol Soc 133:265–271
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Jean-Yves Grandpeix for his valuable help for the statistical analysis and Chantal Claud for her support that allows to achieve this paper. Boundary layer observation and research at Dome C were supported by the French Polar Institute (IPEV; CALVA program), the Institut National des Sciences de l’Univers (Concordia and LEFE-CLAPA programs), the Observatoire des Sciences de l’Univers de Grenoble (OSUG) and the École Doctorale 129 - Sciences de l’environnement. We would like to thank the two anonymous referees for their helpful comments and suggestions.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rysman, JF., Lahellec, A., Vignon, E. et al. Characterization of Atmospheric Ekman Spirals at Dome C, Antarctica. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 160, 363–373 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-016-0144-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-016-0144-y