The role of snow/ice cover in the formation of a local Himalayan circulation

Abstract

Observations and model simulations were conducted in a typical Himalayan valley to investigate the role of snow/ice cover in the formation of the local diurnal wind. An unusual local circulation was observed in the Himalayas with a strong down-valley flow dominant from noon to midnight, greatly differing from those in other mountainous regions. Two experiments with snow/ice cover included/excluded were performed using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) to reconstruct the Himalayan circulation, and to reveal the role of snow/ice in this circulation. The results show that the wind system in the Himalayas is composed of both glacier winds driven by the snow/ice cover and classical mountain-valley winds. In particular, the glacier winds establish the distinctive feature of the Himalayan local circulation, i.e., the strong down-valley flow in the afternoon.