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Coastal polynyas are produced in the Antarctic by katabatic winds. Katabatic winds are for example found blowing out from the large and elevated ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland. The buildup of high density cold air over the ice sheets and the elevation of the ice sheets brings into play enormous gravitational energy.
The unique conditions in the Dry Valleys are caused, in part, by katabatic winds; these occur when cold, dense air is pulled downhill by the force of gravity. The dry wind evaporates the snow rapidly and little melts into the soil. During the summer, this process can take only hours. Another important factor is a lack of precipitation.
McMurdo Sound experiences katabatic winds from the Antarctic polar plateau. McMurdo Sound freezes over with sea ice about 3 metres (9.8 ft) thick during the winter. During the austral summer when the pack ice breaks up, wind and currents may push the ice northward into the Ross Sea, stirring up cold bottom currents that spill into the ocean basins.
Coastal polynyas are produced in the Antarctic by katabatic winds Katabatic wind spilling off an ice shelf A frosty Arctic condensation plume marks this polynya near the west shore of Hudson Bay. This one (and others nearby) are likely kept open by tidal currents. Mile-high west-facing aerial view.
In meteorology, the Antarctic High is the stronger of the two polar highs, areas of high atmospheric pressure situated in the poles. [1] It is situated over Eastern Antarctica, hence it sometimes being referred to as the East Antarctic High .
“Katabatic winds are a common feature of Himalayan glaciers and their valleys, and have likely always occurred,” Pellicciotti said. “What we observe however is a significant increase in ...
This small ice shelf is subject to strong katabatic winds. It is also possible to observe free-flowing meltwater on its surface in summer conditions. [5] In 2016 a 30 km (19 mi) long section of the ice shelf calved to form two large icebergs. [6]
Katabatic wind [ edit ] Commonwealth Bay is listed in both the Guinness Book of World Records and the Eighth Edition of the National Geographic Atlas as the windiest place on Earth, with winds regularly exceeding 240 kilometres (150 mi) per hour and an average annual wind speed of 80 kilometres (50 mi) per hour.