Analysis of Boundary-Layer Statistical Properties at Dome C, Antarctica

The atmospheric boundary layer over the Antarctic Plateau is unique on account of its isolated location and extreme stability. Here we investigate the characteristics of the boundary layer using wind and temperature measurements from a 45-m high tower located at Dome C. First, spectral analysis reveals that both fields have a scaling behaviour from 30 min to 10 days (spectral slope $$\beta \approx 2$$β≈2). Wind and temperature time series also show a multifractal behaviour. Therefore, it is possible to fit the moment-scaling function to the universal multifractal model and obtain multifractal parameters for temperature ($$\alpha \approx 1.51,\, C_1\approx 0.14$$α≈1.51,C1≈0.14) and wind speed ($$\alpha \approx 1.34, \, C_1\approx 0.13$$α≈1.34,C1≈0.13). The same analysis is repeated separately in winter and summer at six different heights. The $$\beta $$β parameter shows a strong stratification with height especially in summer, implying that properties of turbulence change surprisingly rapidly from the ground to the top of the tower.