Katabatic wind

A wind that carries high density air down a slope

A katabatic wind is a very strong wind which blows downhill.[1] They can be warm winds like the "föhn" wind on the north slopes of the Alps in Europe or the Chinook which blows down the Rockies in the US.[1] They can also be very cold winds like those in Antarctica or Greenland.[1] They are made when cold, dense air flows down from the ice cap to the coast. Sometimes these winds are called fall winds.[2] Along the Adriatic coast, the cold katabatic wind is called the "bora", and in France it is called the "mistral".[1]

Katabatic wind in Antarctica

References change

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Katabatic flows". The Dictionary of Physical Geography. 2000. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  2. Cole, Joanne; Bruce Degen (2001). Magic School Bus, Penguin Puzzle. U.S.: Scholastic Inc. p. 43. ISBN 0-439-31432-1.