Katabatic wind - Wikipedia
A katabatic wind (named from Ancient Greek κατάβασις (katábasis) 'descent') carries high-density air from a higher elevation down a slope under the force of gravity. Such winds are sometimes also called fall winds; the spelling catabatic winds[1] is also used.
Katabatic wind | Downslope, Cold Air, Foehn | Britannica
Oct 10, 2024 · Katabatic wind, wind that blows down a slope because of gravity. It occurs at night, when the highlands radiate heat and are cooled. The air in contact with these highlands is thus also cooled, and it becomes denser than the air at the same elevation but away from the slope; it therefore begins to.
What Is A Katabatic Wind? - WorldAtlas
Oct 3, 2019 · Katabatic winds are formed when the mountain surface becomes colder than the surrounding air, forcing the wind to rush down the slope, sometimes in a hurricane speed of up to 80 miles per hour.
EarthWord: Katabatic Winds | U.S. Geological Survey - USGS.gov
Also known as fall winds, katabatic winds are usually caused by gravity pulling higher density air downslope to lower density air. EarthWords is an on-going series in which we shed some light on the complicated, often difficult-to-pronounce language of science.
Katabatic Winds | Causes, Effects & Prediction in Atmospheric …
May 29, 2024 · Katabatic winds, from the Greek word “katabatikos” meaning “going downhill”, are downslope winds driven by gravity. These winds occur when cold air accumulates over high ground and subsequently flows downward due to its higher density compared to …
Katabatic Wind - SKYbrary Aviation Safety
Katabatic Wind. RMetS. Definition. A cold flow of air travelling down an orographic slope (eg. hill or mountain). Description. During and after sunset, particularly on a clear day/night, air at and near the top of elevated land surfaces, particularly over snow-covered surfaces, cools relatively quicker than air at lower altitudes.
What Are Anabatic And Katabatic Winds? - Marine Insight
Sep 18, 2023 · While katabatic winds are based on temperature differentials and elevation, anabatic winds are more of a pressure-driven convective process. Anabatic winds are most suitable information at hilly regions that are not too much in altitude, at relatively warmer regions, during the daytime, and especially during summer months.
katabatic wind - Glossary of Meteorology
Mar 26, 2024 · Most widely used in mountain meteorology to denote a downslope flow driven by cooling at the slope surface during periods of light larger-scale winds; the nocturnal component of the along-slope wind systems.
Katabatic Winds | AMNH - American Museum of Natural History
The air flow gets stronger, turning into fast-flowing winds called katabatic winds. These katabatic winds roar toward the coast of Antarctica. Fairly quiet conditions turn instantaneously, with katabatic winds reaching speeds of 15 to 20 meters per second (50 to 66 ft/sec)!
What Causes Katabatic Winds? - Sciencing
Aug 6, 2018 · Katabatic winds are most significant in the two parts of the world with grand continental ice sheets: Greenland and Antarctica. Those huge frozen plateaus -- the last remnants of the enormous ice bodies of the Pleistocene glaciations -- reliably generate katabatic air movements along their margins.