Comparative study of the radiative and turbulent energy fluxes during summer and winter at the edge of the Antarctic ice sheet in Dronning Maud Land - East Antarctica

Abstract

Present study compares the estimated radiative and turbulent energy fluxes at the edge of the Antarctic ice sheet during summer and winter in Dronning Maud land, East Antarctica. Hourly snow meteorological parameters were recorded and analysed during winter months (May, June, July and August) of the year 2007 and summer months (November, December, January and February) of the year 2007-08 using Automatic Weather Station (AWS) on the glacier surface. Snow-meteorological parameters air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, incoming solar radiation, outgoing solar radiation, atmospheric pressure and glacier surface temperature were recorded by the AWS. An energy balance model was used to evaluate the surface energy fluxes from measured meteorological quantities for the summer and winter. Net radiative flux was observed the main heat source during summer with seasonal average of 98Wm-2 while sensible heat flux was observed main heat source during winter with seasonal average of 30 Wm-2. Latent heat flux was observed the main heat sink during both the season with seasonal average values of -86.7 Wm-2 for summer and -65.4 Wm-2 during winter. Sublimation was observed high during summer compare to winter.