Gravity wave coupling from the troposphere to the mesopause region investigated with ground based and air borne observations
Abstract
Between 2013 and 2016 the DLR-Institute of Atmospheric Physics has conducted a series of three coordinated ground based and air borne field campaigns to study the life cycle of gravity waves from their excitation in the troposphere to their dissipation in the mesopause region. Two of these field campaigns were carried out in in Northern Scandinavia (Northern hemisphere winter 2013/14 and 2015/16) and we also participated in the NSF-led DEEPWAVE mission in New Zealand in Austral winter 2014. Ground based observations comprised Rayleigh lidar temperature measurements between 20 - 90 km as well as OH airglow measurements. Airborne in-situ observations of momentum and energy fluxes were used to characterize the propagation characteristics of the waves across the tropopause, a topic which was further investigated using airborne wind lidar measurements. In this paper we present the major results of these campaigns focusing on 1) the role of the tropopause in determining the fraction of tropospheric waves that reach the middle atmosphere, 2) the refraction and horizontal propagation of waves by the background wind, and 3) the dissipation and wave mean flow interaction in the mesopause region. Finally, we will also briefly introduce our plans for a combined ground based and airborne field campaign focusing on the Southern hemisphere gravity wave hotspot in the Southern Andes that is currently planned for September - December 2019.
- Publication:
-
42nd COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- July 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018cosp...42E2793R