The downslope flow of cold, dense air under gravity, most powerfully developed where air is chilled over a high, snow- or ice-covered surface such as the Antarctic or Greenland ice sheets and then drains rapidly down toward the coast. Katabatic winds off Antarctica's ice sheet are among the strongest sustained surface winds recorded anywhere on Earth.
Facts
Process TypeAtmospheric Circulation 1 Connections
Associated With
Demonstrated By
Sources
1. Katabatic Wind Formation (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIntroductionQuote, Introduction
A katabatic wind is a downslope wind caused by the flow of an elevated, high-density air mass into a lower-density air mass below. The spelling catabatic is also used.
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