Analysis of strong wind events around Adelie Land, East Antarctica

Strong wind events at Dumont d'Urville (DdU), an East Antarctic coastal station, and Dome C, an interior station, were studied to determine if the wind along the Adelie Land coast increases with the approach of the depression from the west of the site or after its passage to the east of it. The events for the year 1993 were studied using synoptic observations, mean sea level pressure charts and composite infrared satellite images. It was found that the winds are enhanced with the approach of a depression from the west towards the DdU coast. The wind increases in response to the decreasing pressure at the coastal site and increasing downslope pressure difference (dp). The wind starts decreasing once the system moves to the east of DdU and the pressure at DdU starts building up, as reported in some earlier studies. The response of wind to the approaching depression is not the same for all the events but depends on the downslope pressure difference and the movement of the depression that is often conditioned by the presence of a blocking high to the northeast. The wind comes down if the system starts penetrating inland due to the presence of the high pressure ridge to the northeast and decreasing dp. It is observed that the winds at Dome C increase to as high as 17 m s(-1) with the inland penetration of the depression.