Investigating Propagation of Short-period Gravity Waves at High Altitudes Utilizing Re-analysis and Ray Tracing Models
Abstract
Short-period gravity waves exhibiting periods <1 hour are of great interest as these waves propagate near vertically and transport large amount of momentum flux into the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region. They have preponderance for propagation against the background flow and, when breaking and depositing the momentum flux decrease or even reverse this flow. The propagation nature and sources of short-period mesospheric gravity waves have been studied extensively at low and mid-latitudes, while their extent and nature at the Polar Regions are less known. During the last decade, observations from select sites on the Antarctic continent have revealed a significant presence of short-period gravity waves over the southern Polar Region as well as shown unexpected dynamical behavior. A most recent study from Halley, Antarctica, have shown the majority of the waves to be vertically propagating in the MLT region, which is in stark contrast to similar studies at mid-latitudes, where the waves are prone to ducted motion. In this presentation, we elaborate on the propagation characteristics throughout the middle atmosphere of waves observed over the Polar Regions by using global scale reanalysis and ray tracing models.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012AGUFMSA32A..07N
- Keywords:
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- 3332 ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES / Mesospheric dynamics;
- 3334 ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES / Middle atmosphere dynamics;
- 3384 ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES / Acoustic-gravity waves