Skip to Main content Skip to Navigation
Journal articles

Meteorological and snow accumulation gradients across Dome C, East Antarctic plateau

Christophe Genthon 1, 2 Delphine Six 2, 1 C. Scarchilli 3 M. Frezzotti 3
1 UGA [2016-2019] - Université Grenoble Alpes [2016-2019]
2 LGGE - Laboratoire de glaciologie et géophysique de l'environnement
3 ENEA - Italian National agency for new technologies, Energy and sustainable economic development [Frascati]
Abstract : In situ observations show that snow accumulation is ∼10% larger 25 km north than south of the summit of Dome C on the east antarctic plateau. The mean wind direction is southerly. Although a slight slope-related diverging katabatic ow component is detectable, the area is an essentially at (∼10 m elevation change or less) homogeneous snow surface. The European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasts meteorological analyses data reproduce a signicant accumulation gradient and suggest that 90% of the the mean accumulation results from the 25% largest precipitation events. During these events, air masses originate from coastal areas in the north rather than from inland in the south. Radiative cooling condensation occurs on the way across the dome and as the moisture reservoir is depleted less snow is dumped 25 km south than north, with little direct impact from the local (50-km scale) topography. Air masses are warmer on average, and warmer north than south, when originating from the coast. This marginally affects the mean temperature gradients. The moisture gradients are more affected because moisture is nonlinearly related to temperature: the mean atmospheric moisture is larger north than south. Signicant meteorological and hydrological gradients over such relatively small distances (50 km) over locally at region may be an issue when interpreting ice cores: although cores are drilled at the top of domes and ridges where the slopes and elevation gradients are minimal, they sample small surfaces in areas affected by signicant meteorological and hydrological spatial gradients.
Keywords : Antarctic plateau surface meteorology surface mass balance spatial gradients
Document type :
Journal articles
Complete list of metadatas
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01326307
Contributor : Bérénice Boeuf <>
Submitted on : Friday, June 3, 2016 - 2:09:45 PM
Last modification on : Thursday, November 19, 2020 - 1:02:13 PM

Identifiers

Collections

INSU | CNRS | OSUG | LGGE | IRSTEA | UNIV-SAVOIE | INRAE | UGA

Citation

Christophe Genthon, Delphine Six, C. Scarchilli, M. Frezzotti. Meteorological and snow accumulation gradients across Dome C, East Antarctic plateau. International Journal of Climatology, Wiley, 2016, 36, pp.455-466. ⟨10.1002/joc.4362⟩. ⟨insu-01326307⟩

Export

BibTeX TEI DC DCterms EndNote

Share

Metrics

Record views

164