Ye, J., L. Liu, J. F. Ding, X. C. Liu, H. L. Xie, and Y. B. Chen, 2025: First blowing snow measurement at Zhongshan station in Antarctica using ceilometer. Adv. Atmos. Sci., https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-024-4172-0.
Citation: Ye, J., L. Liu, J. F. Ding, X. C. Liu, H. L. Xie, and Y. B. Chen, 2025: First blowing snow measurement at Zhongshan station in Antarctica using ceilometer. Adv. Atmos. Sci., https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-024-4172-0.

First Blowing Snow Measurement at Zhongshan Station in Antarctica Using Ceilometer

  • Blowing snow events in Antarctica play an important role in the climate system, affecting the mass balance of the ice sheet and the radiative effects of the atmosphere. Due to the harsh weather conditions in Antarctica, ground-based detection data is deficient, making it difficult to accurately obtain both the frequency of blowing snow and the evolution of the height of the blowing snow layer. In this study, we introduce a new method based on the raw signal from the C12 ceilometer to separate clear-sky, cloud, snowfall, and blowing snow conditions within a height of 500 meters above the surface of Zhongshan Station. Research has shown that more than 80% of the blowing snow at Zhongshan Station is affected by cyclonic systems, and less than 20% of the blowing snow is affected by katabatic winds. Further, Antarctic blowing snow is closely related to snowfall. When there is heavy snowfall (even a blizzard), a smaller wind speed can lead to the formation of a deep blowing snow layer within an hour after snowfall. However, as time increases, the threshold wind speed required to generate blowing snow significantly increases, and the thickness of the blowing snow layer becomes shallower.
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