Fine Structure of the Stably Stratified Atmospheric Boundary Layer in Antarctica

applicant

Professor Dr. Jens Bange 
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
Fachbereich Geowissenschaften
Zentrum für Angewandte Geowissenschaften (ZAG)
Arbeitsgruppe Umweltphysik

project description 

As element of the cooperation between the Inst. f. Luft- und Raumfahrtsysteme, Techn. Univ. Braunschweig (ILR), and the British Antarctic Survey (HAS) in total three small meteorological flight robots (M2AV) are sent to Halley station. There the fully autonomously operating aircraft (developed at the ILR) are going to measure the turbulent characteristics of the stable atmospheric boundary layer (SBL) above the ice shelf. These in situ measurements are then used to verify, support and complete the already installed BAS sodar systems and the meteorological tower. Main research goal is the fine structure of the SBL especially regarding thin layers, intermittent and fossil turbulence, and (solitary) waves. The use of structure functions, multi-resolution co-spectra and wavelet analysis give information on the spectral characteristics of turbulent structure and transport within the layered SBL. Applying inverse models to the observed data, gradients, divergence and energy fluxes are calculated in order to quantify the turbulent energy transfer between SBL and surface, and between individual layers. Furthermore the horizontal representativeness of the installed remote sensing systems is validated. In the preceding project PSBL a large quality-controlled database from Helipod flights over Arctic sea ice (Polarstern campaigns ARK-XI, ARK-XII and ARK-XIX) was already created. This data base is now used to analyse the resemblance and difference between the SBL over shelf ice (Antarctic) and sea ice (Arctic). The project will contribute to the understanding of specific elements and processes of the SBL particularly under polar conditions. At the beginning of the project all experiments and journals will be already completed. Thus we apply only for man power to analyse the unique data sets from Halley station and M2AVs.

Projektergebnisse

DFG-Verfahren: Infrastruktur-Schwerpunktprogramme

term from 2006 to 2009