The variability of the marine atmospheric boundary layer in the Greenland Sea marginal ice zone a case study.

The vertical structure of the atmospheric boundary layer in the East Greenland Sea Fram Strait marginal ice zone (MIZ) is examined for various wind flow regimes with respect to the ice edge. Rawinsonde profiles and surface observations collected from three ships during MIZEX-87 (20 March - 11 April 1987) served as the data set for the examination. Three specific flow regimes are discussed: on-ice flow, off-ice flow, and flow parallel to the ice. On-ice flow resulted in deep, moist layers capped by high weak inversions at the MIZ. Off-ice flow resulted in multiple surface and elevated inversions, with specific humidity highest within an elevated lower-tropospheric layer and dry regions near the surface and aloft. Parallel flow led to the development of strikingly different boundary layer regimes separated by the ice edge: Over ice, deep surface and elevated inversions were associated with alternating moist and dry layers in the lower troposphere; over water, multiple elevated inversions were associated with an elevated lower-tropospheric moist layer and dry regions near the surface and aloft. Possible physical processes important for the development of the observed features are discussed.

Department dc:contributor.department

Meteorology

Grantor dc:publisher

Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School

Year dc:date.issued

1988

Author dc:creator

• Dinkler, Karl L.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Davidson, Kenneth L.

Statement dc:rights

• This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10945/23443

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:calhoun.nps.edu:10945/23443