Projects
ETA Project
Study of the air turbulence in the Antarctic region
Sponsored by INCT-APA and CNPq.
International colaboration: MEIS d.o.o. - Slovenia
An important current question that has been preoccupying the scientists and the society as a whole is the climatic change what the planet is suffering, whether due to human action or natural climate variability. The quantification of the possible effects of these changes in the Earth´s climate has been performed through numerical models of weather systems. An important aspect of this simulation is the transfer of energy in the interface - which takes place through the turbulent fluxes of heat, water and moment. These fluxes establish the coupling between the atmosphere and the surface representing, thus, key processes in the climatic system.
The turbulent fluxes can be estimated directly, through the covariance between the statistical fluctuations of vertical velocity and the respective variables (air specific humidity, in case of the flux of mass; temperature of the air, in case of the sensible heat flux; and the zonal and meridional wind velocity components, in case of the moment flux). This method, hereafter referred as “direct method” requires measurements of these parameters with a sampling rate of, at least, 1 Hz (WGASF, 2000).
An alternative and indirect form to estimate the interface flow is through the adjustment of the average profiles of air specific humidity, temperature and horizontal wind velocity to the respective vertical profiles predicted by the Theory of the Similarity of Monin-Obukhov (Stull, 1988). This method, identified here as “indirect method” requires observations of these properties in, at least, three vertical levels and mean values of the variables in time intervals of 10 minutes to 1 hour.
The main objective of this project is to investigate the interaction of the atmosphere with the surface through the observational determination, directly and indirectly, of the vertical fluxes of sensible heat, latent heat and momentum in the region of the Brazilian Antarctic Research Station “Comandante Ferraz” (EACF), in the King George Island (62º 05' S, 58º 23' W), using fast response sensor (direct method) and slow response sensor (indirect method) installed in a tower. These observational campaigns will generate a set of unpublished data of long time duration.
Principal investigator: Jacyra Soares.
Codato G., Soares J., Oliveira A.P., Targino A.C.L., Ruman C.J., 2012: Observational campaigns of the ETA Project. IV Oficina do INCT-APA. Paty de Alferes, RJ. Junho 2012.
Oliveira A.P., Soares J., Codato G., Targino A.C.L., Ruman C.J., 2012: Energy balance at the surface in the King George Island - Preliminary results of ETA project. IV Oficina do INCT-APA. Paty de Alferes, RJ. Junho 2012.
Ruman C.J. 2012: Estudo das propriedades radiométricas na região Antártica. Relatório Parcial de iniciação científica. Fevereiro 2012.
Oliveira A.P., Codato G., Ruman C.J.,2012: Relatório da 2ª campanha de medidas do projeto ETA. IAG/USP, 37p.
Ruman C.J., Soares J., Oliveira A.P., Targino A.C.L., Codato G., 2011: Observational investigation of the radiation balance at the Brazilian Antarctic Station – preliminary results. XVIII Simpósio Brasileiro sobre pesquisas Antárticas. 21 a 23 setembro 2011. IG-USP. São Paulo. (Clique aqui para ver o poster apresentado).
Ruman C.J. e Soares J., 2011: Resultados preliminares do balanço observacional de radiação na estação Antártica brasileira. XVI Simpósio de Iniciação Cientifica do IAG/USP, Outubro de 2011. (Clique aqui para ver o poster apresentado).
Silva, D.S. e Soares J., 2011: Estudo das condições meteorológicas na região Antártica. XVI Simpósio de Iniciação Cientifica do IAG/USP, Outubro de 2011. (Clique aqui para ver o painel apresentado).
Ruman C.J. 2011: Estudo das propriedades radiométricas na região Antártica. Relatório Final de iniciação científica. Agosto 2011.
Oliveira AP, Targino AC,Codato G., 2011: Relatório da 1ª campanha de medidas do projeto ETA. IAG/USP, 36p.
Ruman C.J. 2011: Estudo das propriedades radiométricas na região Antártica. Relatório Final de iniciação científica. Agosto 2011.
Ruman C.J. 2011: Estudo das propriedades radiométricas na região Antártica. Relatório de parcial de iniciação científica. Fevereiro 2011
Ruman C.J. e Soares J., 2010: Seasonal evolution of the surface radiation balance components in the Antarctic region. XV Simpósio de Iniciação Cientifica do IAG/USP, Novembro de 2010. (Clique aqui para ver o poster apresentado).