Observations and Modeling of Thunderstorm-Generated Gravity Waves over the Midwestern U.S.
Abstract
We present multilayer observations and numerical simulations of gravity waves (GWs) generated by a series of Mesoscale Convective Systems over the midwestern United States. Strong semi-concentric waves are identified in the Stratosphere via observations by the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounders (AIRS) instrument (i.e. Hoffmann et al. [2013]) and in the Thermosphere by 630nm airglow imagers as part of the Midlatitude Allsky-imaging Network for GeoSpace Observations (MANGO) (Mundra et al. [2013]) . Simulations are performed using the 3D nonlinear, high-resolution, compressible numerical model, known as ''MAGIC'' (Model for Acoustic and Gravity wave Interactions and Coupling) (Snively and Pasko [2008], Snively et al. [2013], Zettergren and Snively [2015]). The thunderstorm forcing is approximated as a latent heating applied to the energy term of the Navier-Stokes equations, which is derived from NEXRAD digital precipitation rates using the Stephan and Alexander [2015] algorithm. Modeling and observations suggest these thunderstorm-generated waves couple all the way from the source to the thermosphere and display strong nonlinearity in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT). The storms produce a wide range of wave scales from 34-400km, with the smaller scales breaking in the Mesosphere leaving the larger 170km+ waves to become dominant in the Thermosphere.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMSA23B3123H
- Keywords:
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- 3334 Middle atmosphere dynamics;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES;
- 3337 Global climate models;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES;
- 3360 Remote sensing;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES;
- 3384 Acoustic-gravity waves;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES