TABLE 15. THE DISTRIBUTION OF AIR TEMPERATURE OVER ICE 

 AT OSTROV CHETYRYEKLSTOLCOVOY ON JULY 1925 



The summer inversion was noted long ago in the arctic basins. The whalers had noticed then 

 on the leeward side of icebergs the wind was much warmer than on the windward side. This is ex- 

 plained by the fact that, while passing over the icebergs, the warm air masses "curl" and descend 

 toward the sea surface. 



The most surprising example of the summer inversion is the distribution of air temperature 

 over the ice at Ostrov Chetyreklstolcovoy, according to the Maud observations carried out in July 

 1925 during a southeasterly wind, (i.e. , blowing from the heated coast) (table 15). 



The conditions characterizing the possibility of formation of a strong summer inversion are 

 well explained by the following examples. 



At 0700 on 4 July 1943, the air temperature at Pevek was +22° with southwesterly winds, 

 force 6, while at Mys Shelagskiy the temperature was +27° with southeasterly wind, force 6. At 

 1300 on 5 July 1943, the temperature in Bukhta Jiksi was +23° with a southwesterly wind, force 8. 

 In these cases, the winds had been blowing from the shores to the ice-covered sea. It is natural 

 that a clearly pronounced inversion could have been observed at some distance from the coast. 



SEPT. TO 

 OCT. 



APRIL TO JUNE 



,,JULY TO AUGUST 



Figure 11. The vertical temperature distribution over Franz Joseph Land 

 in various seasons. 



In general, the summer inversion is usual and ubiquitous in the arctic. This is proven, for 

 instance, by figure 11 taken from Guterman; the figure shows the vertical temperature distribution 

 by seasons over Franz Joseph Land. 



LITERATURE: 43, 77, 93, 175. 



47 



