Local time variation of high-frequency gravity wave momentum flux and its relationship with background wind derived from LIDAR measurements

Gravity waves and atmospheric tides have strong interactions in the mesopause region and is a major contributor to the large variabilities in this region. How these two large perturbations interact with each other is not well understood. Observational studies of their relationships are needed to help clarify some contradictory results from modeling studies. Due to large differences in temporal and spatial scales between gravity waves and tides, they are not easily observed simultaneously and consistently with extended periods of time. In this work, we use four-hundred hours of Na LIDAR observation at Starfire Optical Range (SOR, 35.0 N, 106.5 W), New Mexico to derive the local time variation of gravity wave momentum flux and corresponding background wind. Their relationship is then examined in detail. The effects of gravity waves on the background wind at the tidal time scale are deduced. These results are explained through gravity wave propagation in a varying background atmosphere.