Katabatic Winds:
A surprising phenomenon has been observed in the Himalayas, where ‘katabatic’ winds are triggered when high temperatures affect high-altitude ice masses.
- This leads to cold air blowing to lower-altitude areas, potentially slowing down the effects of the global climate crisis in some regions.
- The study reveals that a temperature gap between air above the mountains and cooler air in contact with ice masses causes increased turbulent heat exchange, leading to stronger cooling of the surface air mass.
- Anabatic Winds are upslope winds driven by warmer surface temperatures on a mountain slope than the surrounding air column.
- Katabatic winds are downslope winds created when the mountain surface is colder than the surrounding air and create a downslope wind.
