Abstract
Turbulent fluxes have been evaluated for clear sunny days over the Indian Antarctic station, Maitri, using the basic meteorological data recorded at four levels of a 28 m tower. The data are supplemented with radiation data. The surface layer over Maitri remains thermally stratified during the hours of minimum solar insolation, the so-called nighttime period. The surface winds during this period are generally very strong resulting in high momentum fluxes. In particular, for high winds (>12 m s−1), the temperature gradient is found to be less positive than for moderate winds (4 to 7 m s−1). Solar insolation provided the daytime heating necessary for the diurnal variation of atmospheric stability, and hence, for the turbulent fluxes. Thus, on clear days daytime conditions are marked by upward transport of heat with reduced momentum flux, while stable nighttime conditions are marked by a downward heat flux with increased momentum fluxes.
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Naithani, J., Dutta, H.N., Pasricha, P.K. et al. Evaluation of turbulent fluxes over Maitri, Antarctica. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 74, 195–208 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00715717
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00715717