Sodar data in some Antarctic coastal bases between 1986 and 1995

Surface measurements are not sufficient to characterize the complexity of the circulation in these places. Flows are often originated by different processes (barrier winds, katabatic winds-breeze, large scale circulation, may interact with each other and in some cases appear superimposed on each other) . The monostatic Doppler sodar allowed to highlight some features of that complexity by providing with the vertical structure of the wind field and with the picture of the thermal stratification evolution.

During the 1986- 1995 period the sodar in Antarctica worked several times, in several sites and in different configurations. Below, the general characteristics of the experiment are listed (place, date, instrument): A-Terra Nova Bay, 1986-1987, one axis sodar B-Terra Nova Bay, 1987-1988, three axis sodar C-Nansen Ice Sheet, 26/12/1988-4/2/1989, three axis sodar D-Dumont d'Urville, 18/12/1992-20/1/1995, three axis sodar E-Nansen Ice Sheet, 25/11/1994-7/1/1995, three axis cross-beam F-Reeves Nevee, 25/11/1994-6/1/1995, three axis cross-beam Based on the instrument configuration the Doppler sodar can provide facsimile record of the echo return (fax), vertical profile of the averaged horizontal wind (wd) and vertical velocity (vv).

Below are listed the parameters characteristic of the measurement (Site: Parameters, time rept./aver., vertical res., range): A- TNB: fax, vv; 6s, 30 m, 800 m B- TNB: WD, fax, vv; 6s/10 min., 30 m, 800 m C- NIS: WD, fax, vv; 6s/10 min., 27 m,800 m D- DDU: WD, fax, vv; 6s/10 min., 27 m, 800 m E- NIS: WD, fax, vv; 6s/10 min., 27 m, 800 m F- RNE: WD, fax, vv; 3s/10 min., 14 m, 400 m