This study of the dynamics of a stable atmospheric boundary layer will be carried out jointly by the University of California, Davis, and the NOAA Wave Propagation Laboratory, and will concentrate on the importance of intermittent and episodic forcing mechanisms in determining the structure and energy transfer within the lowest layers of the antarctic troposphere. The study will combine ground-based remote sensing techniques with theoretical and modelling analyses, particularly of wave phenomena. The field phase of the project will be carried out at Amundsen-Scott South Pole station because of its reliably stable boundary layer, its smooth air-snow interface, and its lack of a diurnal solar cycle. A monostatic Sodar, the acoustic analogue of Radar, will provide continuous time-height depictions of the boundary layer structure, while a Radar profiler will be used to extend the observations to an altitude of 3000 meters. Two arrays of microbarographs will monitor the passage of internal gravity waves, while a network of Automatic Weather Stations on the 100 kilometer scale will provide information on the regional pressure distribution.
