The Katabatic Winds of Adélie Land and King George V Land

Abstract

The principle features of the katabatic wind in the neighbourhood of Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica, are described with particular emphasis on the sudden onsets and cessations of the wind. The unusual features are explained on the hypothesis that a quasistationary pressure jump line, forming a sharp boundary between the strong katabatic winds of the ice slope and the comparitively calm conditions over the sea, occurs near the coast. Movement of this pressure jump line across the causes a sudden change in wind conditions there. Quantitative predictions on this hypothesis are of the correct magnitude.