katabatic

/,kætə'bætik/

Thân thiện

A katabatic wind flows down the mountain slope at night.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Relating to downward-moving air: Describes a wind or air current that flows down a slope, typically due to cooling, especially at night. This movement is driven by dense, cool air descending from higher elevations.

Usage

• The term is used almost exclusively in meteorological and geographical contexts to describe specific wind patterns.
• It is typically placed before a noun (e.g., ) or used predicatively (e.g., ).
• It describes the cause and direction of the wind's movement.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • The valley experiences strong katabatic winds every night as the mountain air cools and sinks.
  • Scientists studied the katabatic flow from the Antarctic ice sheet.
  • The cold, katabatic breeze made the coastal area much chillier than the inland plateau.

Advanced Usage

• "Katabatic forcing": The meteorological conditions that cause or enhance a katabatic wind.
  • The clear skies and snow-covered surface created perfect conditions for katabatic forcing.
• "Katabatic layer": The layer of air near the ground involved in the downslope flow.
  • Measurements were taken within the katabatic layer to understand its structure.

Variants and Related Words

• Anabatic (adj): The opposite of katabatic; describing a wind that blows up a slope due to heating, such as a valley breeze during the day.
  • Anabatic winds are common on sunlit mountain slopes in the afternoon.
• Katabasis (n): A descent or going down; a term used in various fields like literature, meteorology, or mountaineering.
  • The climbers began their katabasis from the summit as the weather turned.

Synonyms

• Downslope (adj): Moving down a slope. (More general, not specific to cooling.)
• Descending (adj): Moving downward. (General term for direction.)
• Gravity wind (n): Another term for a wind driven by cold, dense air flowing downhill.

Antonyms

• Anabatic (adj): Moving upward, especially a wind flowing up a slope.
• Upslope (adj): Moving up a slope.
• Ascending (adj): Moving upward.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. of an air current or wind; moving downward or down a slope because of cooling especially at night

Từ đồng nghĩa

• catabatic