CLAMP - The Coats Land Mesoscale Project

Introduction

The Coats Land Mesoscale Project (CLAMP) aims to study the generation, propagation and dissipation of katabatic winds on the ice slopes inland of Halley Research Station. In order to achieve this aim, a line of automatic weather stations (AWSs) has been established stretching up the slopes inland of Halley to the highest part of Coats Land, about 200 km south of the station.

In addition to these year-round surface measurements, we hope to obtain some information on the vertical structure of the boundary layer in this region using tethersondes carried by kites. We are also using infra-red satellite imagery to study boundary-layer structure in this region.

The CLAMP stations

A map showing the station locations

Halley Research Station

Location: 75 ° 35' S, 26 ° 19' W

Elevation: 36 m

Measurements:

AWS CLAMP 1

Location: 75 ° 53' S, 25 ° 30' W

Elevation: 34 m

Measurements:

AWS CLAMP 2

Location: 75 ° 58' S, 25 ° 24' W

Elevation: 403 m

Measurements:

AWS CLAMP 3

Location: 76 ° 42' S, 24 ° 32' W

Elevation: 1454 m

Measurements:

Automatic Geophysical Observatory AGO A77

Location: 77 ° 30' S, 23 ° 25' W

Elevation: 1545 m m

Measurements:

This station, which is operated by the Upper Atmospheric Sciences Division , is part of a network of stations for geospace research but additionally carries meteorological sensors.

Status of the project

CLAMP 1, CLAMP 2 and CLAMP 3 were deployed in January 1996. CLAMP 2 and CLAMP 3 were revisited in January 1997. Limited data are available from these stations as a result of the data logger programs locking up early in 1996, probably as a result of static charging caused by blowing snow in the very dry atmosphere. Results will be posted to this page as they become available.

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Page produced by John King