Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Influence Of Föhn Winds On Glacial Lake Washburn And Palaeotemperatures In The Mcmurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, During The Last Glacial Maximum, Maciej Obryk, Peter Doran, Ed Waddington, Chris Mckay

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Large glacial lakes, including Glacial Lake Washburn, were present in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) despite a colder and drier climate. To address the mechanism capable of generating enough meltwater to sustain these large lakes, a conceptual model was developed based on the warming potential of infrequent contemporary föhn winds. The model suggests that föhn winds were capable of generating enough meltwater to sustain large glacial lakes during the LGM by increasing degree days above freezing (DDAF) and prolonging the melt season. A present-day relationship between infrequent summer föhn winds and DDAF was established. …