The summertime ABL structure over an antarctic oasis with a vertical Doppler sodar

Abstract

The one-component version of the multiple-frequency LATAN-3M sodar was operated during the summer 2006-2007 at the Russian Antarctic station Novolazarevskaya at Schirmacher oasis. We show the typical echograms for the prevailing conditions of forced turbulence, convective turbulence, strong katabatic flows and moist air advection with wave structures. The profiles of the vertical wind component and its variance reveal the vertical structure of local diurnal katabatic winds. We observed the core of a drainage flow at a height of 10-30 m. During the sea air mass advection, the wavy structures are clearly seen in the echograms at heights of 100-200 m a.g.l. The vertical wind component time series show that these waves are propagating rather than advected. The spectrum of the waves has a pronounced peak corresponding to the Brunt-Väisälä frequency in the layer 400-1000 m a.g.l. but not to that in the layer where the waves appear.