Abstract:

Analysis of sensible heat flux (Qh), latent heat flux (Qe), Richardson number (Ri), bulk transport coefficient (Cd) and katabatic winds are presented by using the meteorological data in the near surface layer from an automatic weather station (AWS) in Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica ice sheet and the data of corresponding period at Zhongshan station in 2002. It shows that annual mean air temperature at LGB69 is -25.6°C, which is 16.4°C lower than that at Zhongshan, where the elevation is lower and located on the coast. The temperature lapse rate is about 1.0°C/110 m for the initial from coast to inland. The turbulence heat flux at LGB69 displays obvious seasonal variations with the average sensible heat flux -17.9 W/m² and latent heat flux -0.9 W/m². The intensity(Qh+Qe) of coolling source is -18.8 W/m² meaning the snow surface layer obtains heat from atmosphere. The near surface atmosphere is near-neutral stratified with bulk transport coefficients (Cd) around 2.8×10^-3, and it is near constant when the wind speed higher than 8 m/s. The speed and the frequency of easterly Katabatic winds at LGB69 were higher than that at Zhongshan Station.

Key words: eastern Antarctic ice sheet, turbulent flux, katabatic wind, seasonal variation