Atmospheric gravity waves due to the Tohoku‐Oki tsunami observed in the thermosphere by GOCE

Garcia, Raphaël; Doornbos, Eelco; Bruinsma, Sean; Hébert, Hélène

doi:10.1002/2013jd021120

Cited by 47 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…As discussed above,

C_{f}^{3}

is a marker of GW perturbations measured along the GOCE orbit. The advantage of this new parameter compared to the C 3 index computed in the time domain by Garcia et al [] is that it allows to characterize the frequency content of GW perturbations observed in the GOCE data. In addition, we can use equation to relate the dominant frequency observed in GOCE data to the maximum horizontal wavelength of GWs.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of GW polarization, the cross‐track wind component

V_{GW}^{c}

can be written [ Garcia et al , ]:

V_{GW}^{c} = β (ω) Γ_{GW}

with β ( ω ) being nonzero only in the frequency (e.g., horizontal wavelength) range corresponding to GWs. Our analysis filters out the long‐term variations ρ 0 and

V_{0}^{c}

and uses the time derivative of relative air density fluctuations (

\overset{Γ}{true}

).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several papers have presented detailed investigations of Challenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) GW activity on various scales [ Bruinsma and Forbes , , , ]. Medium‐scale GWs (horizontal wavelengths ≤1000 km) are generally assumed to be generated by energy inputs coming from the lower atmosphere [ Yiğit and Medvedev , ; Miyoshi et al , ] or by ocean/atmosphere coupling phenomena [ Artru et al , ; Garcia et al , ; Godin et al , ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Medium‐scale gravity wave activity in the thermosphere inferred from GOCE data

Garcia

Bruinsma²,

Massarweh

et al. 2016

JGR Space Physics

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This study is focused on the effect of solar flux conditions on the dynamics of gravity waves (GWs) in the thermosphere. Air density and crosswind in situ estimates from the Gravity Field and Steady‐State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) accelerometers are analyzed for the whole mission duration. The analysis is performed in the Fourier spectral domain averaging spectral results over periods of 2 months close to solstices. A new GW marker (called Cf3) is introduced here to characterize GWs activity under low, medium, and high solar flux conditions, showing a clear solar damping effect on GW activity. Most GW signal is found in a spectral range above 8 mHz in GOCE data, meaning a maximum horizontal wavelength of around 1000 km. The level of GW activity at GOCE altitude is strongly decreasing with increasing solar flux. Furthermore, a shift in the dominant frequency with solar flux conditions has been noted, leading to larger horizontal wavelengths (from 200 to 500 km) during high solar flux conditions. The correlation between air density variability and GW marker allows to identify most of the large‐amplitude perturbations below 67° latitudes as due to GWs. The influence of correlated error sources, between air density and crosswinds, is discussed. Consistency of the spectral domain results is verified in the time domain with a global mapping of high‐frequency air density perturbations along the GOCE orbit. This analysis shows a clear dependence with geomagnetic latitude with strong perturbations at magnetic poles and an extension to lower latitudes favored by low solar activity conditions. These results are consistent with previous Challenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) data analysis and with general circulation models.

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“…As discussed above,

C_{f}^{3}

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of GW polarization, the cross‐track wind component

V_{GW}^{c}

can be written [ Garcia et al , ]:

V_{GW}^{c} = β (ω) Γ_{GW}

with β ( ω ) being nonzero only in the frequency (e.g., horizontal wavelength) range corresponding to GWs. Our analysis filters out the long‐term variations ρ 0 and

V_{0}^{c}

and uses the time derivative of relative air density fluctuations (

\overset{Γ}{true}

).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Medium‐scale gravity wave activity in the thermosphere inferred from GOCE data

Garcia

Bruinsma²,

Massarweh

et al. 2016

JGR Space Physics

Self Cite

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“…Several developments have motivated a renewed interest in AGW theory. Ground-breaking observational techniques (Nishida, Kobayashi & Fukao 2013;Garcia et al 2014) have provided new insights into atmospheric waves. AGWs couple wave processes in the solid earth and the ocean with those in the ionosphere and thermosphere (Watada 2009;Godin & Fuks 2012;Ardhuin & Herbers 2013;Godin, Zabotin & Bullett 2015) and, thus, underlie radar observations of earthquakes (Maruyama et al 2012;Astafyeva et al 2013) and satellite detection of tsunamis (Makela et al 2011;Occhipinti et al 2013;Garcia et al 2014;Coïsson et al 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ground-breaking observational techniques (Nishida, Kobayashi & Fukao 2013;Garcia et al 2014) have provided new insights into atmospheric waves. AGWs couple wave processes in the solid earth and the ocean with those in the ionosphere and thermosphere (Watada 2009;Godin & Fuks 2012;Ardhuin & Herbers 2013;Godin, Zabotin & Bullett 2015) and, thus, underlie radar observations of earthquakes (Maruyama et al 2012;Astafyeva et al 2013) and satellite detection of tsunamis (Makela et al 2011;Occhipinti et al 2013;Garcia et al 2014;Coïsson et al 2015). Vertical transport of horizontal momentum by atmospheric waves plays a crucial role in large-scale circulation of the middle and upper atmosphere, and the development of climate models requires vastly improved parameterizations of the momentum flux (Vadas & Liu 2009;Geller et al 2013;Jia et al 2014 andSchirber et al 2014).…”

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confidence: 99%

Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin approximation for atmospheric waves

Godin

2015

J. Fluid Mech.

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Ray and Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) approximations have long been important tools in understanding and modelling propagation of atmospheric waves. However, contradictory claims regarding the applicability and uniqueness of the WKB approximation persist in the literature. Here, we consider linear acoustic-gravity waves (AGWs) in a layered atmosphere with horizontal winds. A self-consistent version of the WKB approximation is systematically derived from first principles and compared to ad hoc approximations proposed earlier. The parameters of the problem are identified that need to be small to ensure the validity of the WKB approximation. Properties of low-order WKB approximations are discussed in some detail. Contrary to the better-studied cases of acoustic waves and internal gravity waves in the Boussinesq approximation, the WKB solution contains the geometric, or Berry, phase. The Berry phase is generally non-negligible for AGWs in a moving atmosphere. In other words, knowledge of the AGW dispersion relation is not sufficient for calculation of the wave phase.

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First tsunami gravity wave detection in ionospheric radio occultation data

Coïsson

Lognonné

Walwer

et al. 2015

Earth and Space Science

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After the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Tohoku, the ionospheric signature of the displacements induced in the overlying atmosphere has been observed by ground stations in various regions of the Pacific Ocean. We analyze here the data of radio occultation satellites, detecting the tsunami‐driven gravity wave for the first time using a fully space‐based ionospheric observation system. One satellite of the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) recorded an occultation in the region above the tsunami 2.5 h after the earthquake. The ionosphere was sounded from top to bottom, thus providing the vertical structure of the gravity wave excited by the tsunami propagation, observed as oscillations of the ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC). The observed vertical wavelength was about 50 km, with maximum amplitude exceeding 1 total electron content unit when the occultation reached 200 km height. We compared the observations with synthetic data obtained by summation of the tsunami‐coupled gravity normal modes of the Earth/Ocean/atmosphere system, which models the associated motion of the ionosphere plasma. These results provide experimental constraints on the attenuation of the gravity wave with altitude due to atmosphere viscosity, improving the understanding of the propagation of tsunami‐driven gravity waves in the upper atmosphere. They demonstrate that the amplitude of the tsunami can be estimated to within 20% by the recorded ionospheric data.

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Atmospheric gravity waves due to the Tohoku‐Oki tsunami observed in the thermosphere by GOCE

Cited by 47 publications

References 22 publications

Medium‐scale gravity wave activity in the thermosphere inferred from GOCE data

Medium‐scale gravity wave activity in the thermosphere inferred from GOCE data

Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin approximation for atmospheric waves

First tsunami gravity wave detection in ionospheric radio occultation data

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