Gravity wave observations in the summertime polar mesosphere from the Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) experiment on the AIM spacecraft

Chandran, Amal; Rusch, D. W.; Palo, S. E.; Thomas, Gary E.; Taylor, Michael J.

doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2008.09.041

Cited by 61 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…The authors have utilized the CIPS data set for the July 2007 period and identified over 450 quasi-monochromatic wave events. It is interesting to note that previously Chandran et al (2009) have obtained similar results, i.e. most of the waves had wavelengths less than 100 km, but later Chandran et al (2010) have argued that it was due to the visual detection method of wave patterns in CIPS images and ".…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Wave influence on polar mesosphere summer echoes above Wasa: experimental and model studies

et al. 2012

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Abstract. Comprehensive analysis of the wave activity in the Antarctic summer mesopause is performed using polar mesospheric summer echoes (PMSE) measurements for December 2010-January 2011. The 2-day planetary wave is a statistically significant periodic oscillation in the power spectrum density of PMSE power. The strongest periodic oscillation in the power spectrum belongs to the diurnal solar tide; the semi-diurnal solar tide is found to be a highly significant harmonic oscillation as well. The inertial-gravity waves are extensively studied by means of PMSE power and wind components. The strongest gravity waves are observed at periods of about 1, 1.4, 2.5 and 4 h, with characteristic horizontal wavelengths of 28, 36, 157 and 252 km, respectively. The gravity waves propagate approximately in the west-east direction over Wasa (Antarctica). A detailed comparison between theoretical and experimental volume reflectivity of PMSE, measured at Wasa, is made. It is demonstrated that a new expression for PMSE reflectivity derived by Varney et al. (2011) is able to adequately describe PMSE profiles both in the magnitude and in height variations. The best agreement, within 30 %, is achieved when mean values of neutral atmospheric parameters are utilized. The largest contribution to the formation and variability of the PMSE layer is explained by the ice number density and its height gradient, followed by waveinduced perturbations in buoyancy period and the turbulent energy dissipation rate.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Wave influence on polar mesosphere summer echoes above Wasa: experimental and model studies

et al. 2012

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“…Today, NLC are observed from satellites, then termed polar mesospheric clouds (PMC), by networks of ground-based cameras and by several lidar stations at middle and polar latitudes. Chandran et al (2009) found GW signatures below 50 km horizontal wavelength in PMC in the polar region using the CIPS instrument onboard the AIM satellite. Pautet et al (2010) …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Quantification of waves in lidar observations of noctilucent clouds at scales from seconds to minutes

et al. 2013

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Abstract. We present small-scale structures and waves observed in noctilucent clouds (NLC) by lidar at an unprecedented temporal resolution of 30 s or less. The measurements were taken with the Rayleigh/Mie/Raman lidar at the ALO-MAR observatory in northern Norway (69 • N) in the years 2008-2011. We find multiple layer NLC in 7.9 % of the time for a brightness threshold of δ β = 12 × 10 −10 m −1 sr −1 . In comparison to 10 min averaged data, the 30 s dataset shows considerably more structure. For limited periods, quasimonochromatic waves in NLC altitude variations are common, in accord with ground-based NLC imagery. For the combined dataset, on the other hand, we do not find preferred periods but rather significant periods at all timescales observed (1 min to 1 h). Typical wave amplitudes in the layer vertical displacements are 0.2 km with maximum amplitudes up to 2.3 km. Average spectral slopes of temporal altitude and brightness variations are −2.01 ± 0.25 for centroid altitude, −1.41 ± 0.24 for peak brightness and −1.73 ± 0.25 for integrated brightness. Evaluating a new single-pulse detection system, we observe altitude variations of 70 s period and spectral slopes down to a scale of 10 s. We evaluate the suitability of NLC parameters as tracers for gravity waves.

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“…However, these observations are not possible during the high latitude polar summer when the mesosphere remains sunlit. Recently, Pautet et al (2011) recognized that even though it is not possible to use the airglow during this period, the structures present in the NLC, known to be caused by gravity waves and their instabilities (Hines, 1960;Thomas, 1991;Fritts et al, 1993;Chandran et al, 2009Chandran et al, , 2010, could themselves be used to infer the gravity waves present. Analyzing NLC images from Stockholm, Sweden (59.5 • N, 18.2 • E), they were able to provide the first climatology of gravity-wave wavelengths, phase speeds and propagation directions from 60 to 64 • N during the polar summer.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics and sources of gravity waves observed in noctilucent cloud over Norway

et al. 2014

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Abstract. Four years of noctilucent cloud (NLC) images from an automated digital camera in Trondheim and results from a ray-tracing model are used to extend the climatology of gravity waves to higher latitudes and to identify their sources during summertime. The climatology of the summertime gravity waves detected in NLC between 64 and 74 • N is similar to that observed between 60 and 64 • N by Pautet et al. (2011). The direction of propagation of gravity waves observed in the NLC north of 64 • N is a continuation of the north and northeast propagation as observed in south of 64 • N. However, a unique population of fast, short wavelength waves propagating towards the SW is observed in the NLC, which is consistent with transverse instabilities generated in situ by breaking gravity waves . The relative amplitude of the waves observed in the NLC Mie scatter have been combined with raytracing results to show that waves propagating from near the tropopause, rather than those resulting from secondary generation in the stratosphere or mesosphere, are more likely to be the sources of the prominent wave structures observed in the NLC. The coastal region of Norway along the latitude of 70 • N is identified as the primary source region of the waves generated near the tropopause.

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Gravity wave observations in the summertime polar mesosphere from the Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) experiment on the AIM spacecraft

Cited by 61 publications

References 50 publications

Wave influence on polar mesosphere summer echoes above Wasa: experimental and model studies

Wave influence on polar mesosphere summer echoes above Wasa: experimental and model studies

Quantification of waves in lidar observations of noctilucent clouds at scales from seconds to minutes

Characteristics and sources of gravity waves observed in noctilucent cloud over Norway

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