Characteristics of Temperature and Humidity Inversions and Low-Level Jets over Svalbard Fjords in Spring

Air temperature and specific humidity inversions and low-level jets were studied over two Svalbard fjords, Isfjorden and Kongsfjorden, applying three tethersonde systems. Tethersonde operation practices notably affected observations on inversion and jet properties. The inversion strength and depth w...

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Main Authors: Timo Vihma, Tiina Kilpeläinen, Miina Manninen, Anna Sjöblom, Erko Jakobson, Timo Palo, Jaak Jaagus, Marion Maturilli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2011-01-01
Series:Advances in Meteorology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/486807
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author Timo Vihma
Tiina Kilpeläinen
Miina Manninen
Anna Sjöblom
Erko Jakobson
Timo Palo
Jaak Jaagus
Marion Maturilli
author_facet Timo Vihma
Tiina Kilpeläinen
Miina Manninen
Anna Sjöblom
Erko Jakobson
Timo Palo
Jaak Jaagus
Marion Maturilli
author_sort Timo Vihma
collection DOAJ
description Air temperature and specific humidity inversions and low-level jets were studied over two Svalbard fjords, Isfjorden and Kongsfjorden, applying three tethersonde systems. Tethersonde operation practices notably affected observations on inversion and jet properties. The inversion strength and depth were strongly affected by weather conditions at the 850 hPa level. Strong inversions were deep with a highly elevated base, and the strongest ones occurred in warm air mass. Unexpectedly, downward longwave radiation measured at the sounding site did not correlate with the inversion properties. Temperature inversions had lower base and top heights than humidity inversions, the former due to surface cooling and the latter due to adiabatic cooling with height. Most low-level jets were related to katabatic winds. Over the ice-covered Kongsfjorden, jets were lifted above a cold-air pool on the fjord; the jet core was located highest when the snow surface was coldest. At the ice-free Isfjorden, jets were located lower.
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publishDate 2011-01-01
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series Advances in Meteorology
spelling doaj-art-3876a8c3cf2d4d0b8253a20979e902dc2025-08-20T03:55:11ZengWileyAdvances in Meteorology1687-93091687-93172011-01-01201110.1155/2011/486807486807Characteristics of Temperature and Humidity Inversions and Low-Level Jets over Svalbard Fjords in SpringTimo Vihma0Tiina Kilpeläinen1Miina Manninen2Anna Sjöblom3Erko Jakobson4Timo Palo5Jaak Jaagus6Marion Maturilli7Meteorological Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute, 00101 Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Arctic Geophysics, The University Centre in Svalbard, 9171 Longyearbyen, NorwayDepartment of Arctic Geophysics, The University Centre in Svalbard, 9171 Longyearbyen, NorwayDepartment of Arctic Geophysics, The University Centre in Svalbard, 9171 Longyearbyen, NorwayDepartment of Physics, University of Tartu, 50090 Tartu, EstoniaDepartment of Geography, University of Tartu, 50090 Tartu, EstoniaDepartment of Geography, University of Tartu, 50090 Tartu, EstoniaResearch Unit Potsdam, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, D-14473 Potsdam, GermanyAir temperature and specific humidity inversions and low-level jets were studied over two Svalbard fjords, Isfjorden and Kongsfjorden, applying three tethersonde systems. Tethersonde operation practices notably affected observations on inversion and jet properties. The inversion strength and depth were strongly affected by weather conditions at the 850 hPa level. Strong inversions were deep with a highly elevated base, and the strongest ones occurred in warm air mass. Unexpectedly, downward longwave radiation measured at the sounding site did not correlate with the inversion properties. Temperature inversions had lower base and top heights than humidity inversions, the former due to surface cooling and the latter due to adiabatic cooling with height. Most low-level jets were related to katabatic winds. Over the ice-covered Kongsfjorden, jets were lifted above a cold-air pool on the fjord; the jet core was located highest when the snow surface was coldest. At the ice-free Isfjorden, jets were located lower.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/486807
spellingShingle Timo Vihma
Tiina Kilpeläinen
Miina Manninen
Anna Sjöblom
Erko Jakobson
Timo Palo
Jaak Jaagus
Marion Maturilli
Characteristics of Temperature and Humidity Inversions and Low-Level Jets over Svalbard Fjords in Spring
Advances in Meteorology
title Characteristics of Temperature and Humidity Inversions and Low-Level Jets over Svalbard Fjords in Spring
title_full Characteristics of Temperature and Humidity Inversions and Low-Level Jets over Svalbard Fjords in Spring
title_fullStr Characteristics of Temperature and Humidity Inversions and Low-Level Jets over Svalbard Fjords in Spring
title_full_unstemmed Characteristics of Temperature and Humidity Inversions and Low-Level Jets over Svalbard Fjords in Spring
title_short Characteristics of Temperature and Humidity Inversions and Low-Level Jets over Svalbard Fjords in Spring
title_sort characteristics of temperature and humidity inversions and low level jets over svalbard fjords in spring
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/486807
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