katabatic wind
- noun
- /ˌkætəˈbætɪk wɪnd/
- Specialized
:
viento catabático
- In Antarctica, katabatic winds can reach speeds of over 100 miles per hour as they flow down the ice slopes.
Examples
-
The katabatic winds warm adiabatically as they descend from the ice sheet, whereas the coastal breezes tend to be cool as they advect into the valley from the ice-covered McMurdo Sound.
Academic text (1999) -
As a result of these katabatic winds, some Antarctic coasts are among the world's windiest places.
Academic text (1990) -
One control is an interaction between the dry katabatic winds that flow off the interior ice sheet and the coastal breezes from the sea ice (Bromley 1985).
Academic text (1999) -
At a regional scale, the dry valley soil legacies interact with valley climate, which is determined by elevation, orientation of the valley in relation to katabatic winds, distance from marine ecosystems, and local topography, resulting in a spatial distribution of soil habitats that are suitable or not suitable for soil life.
Academic text (1999) -
The katabatic wind descends from the mountains, bringing cold air down to the valley below.
-
During winter, katabatic winds can cause temperatures to drop drastically in the nearby town.
Synonyms
A strong wind that blows when cold, heavy air flows down from high ground like a mountain or plateau
Antonyms
How Strong
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'katabatic' denotes descending air, so when combined with the noun 'wind' the phrase directly means wind produced by downward-moving air; this follows a standard adjective + noun compositional pattern. Although 'katabatic' is a technical/rare word, if a learner already knows that constituent meaning the compound’s overall sense is predictable and transparent.
Etymology
The noun katabatic wind comes from a simple image: the katabatic part is very cold, heavy air rushing down a mountainside, and the wind part is the strong movement of that air. So, katabatic wind means a wind made when cold air moves 'down' a slope into the valley below.