Gravity waves in the troposphere and stratosphere during the MaCWAVE/MIDAS summer rocket program

Schöch, A.; Baumgarten, Gerd; Fritts, David C.; Hoffmann, Peter; Serafimovich, Andrei; Wang, L.; Dalin, Peter; Müllemann, A.; Schmidlin, F. J.

doi:10.1029/2004gl019837

Cited by 16 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…In several cases, we identify facets of the dynamics that appear to be unique to the summer 2002 environment. Interesting aspects of the dynamics include apparent influences of southern hemisphere planetary wave (PW) dynamics in the northern hemisphere polar summer [Becker et al, 2004], enhanced GW amplitudes and gradients [Schöch et al, 2004;Williams et al, 2004;Fritts et al, 2004], and significantly increased turbulence intensities and occurrence near the summer mesopause [Rapp et al, 2004]. The corresponding microphysics observed is addressed by Croskey et al [2004].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The MaCWAVE/MIDAS rocket and ground‐based measurements of polar summer dynamics: Overview and mean state structure

Goldberg¹

2004

Geophysical Research Letters

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[1] The MaCWAVE/MIDAS collaborative rocket and ground-based measurement programs were performed at the Andøya Rocket Range and the nearby ALOMAR observatory in northern Norway during July 2002. The summer component of the MaCWAVE (Mountain and Convective Waves Ascending Vertically) program was focused on gravity wave propagation, instability, and wave-wave and wave-mean flow interaction dynamics contributing to summer mesopause structure and variability. The MIDAS (Middle Atmosphere Dynamics and Structure) program concentrated on small-scale dynamical and microphysical processes near the summer mesopause. Our merged program yielded a comprehensive data set comprising two $12-hour rocket salvoes, including 25 MET rockets and 5 sounding rockets, ground-based lidar, radar, and balloon data, and coordinated overpasses of the TIMED satellite. This paper describes the measurement program and rationale, the mean state observed during the rocket salvoes, and evidence that the mean state structure during 2002 differed in important respects from previous years.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The MaCWAVE/MIDAS rocket and ground‐based measurements of polar summer dynamics: Overview and mean state structure

Goldberg¹

2004

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…technique is used (e.g. Gardner and Voelz, 1987;Wilson et al, 1991a,b;Schöch et al, 2004). Just a few case studies include the whole altitude range relevant for gravity waves from their source (troposphere/lower stratosphere) to their main dissipation region (mesosphere) (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wu and Waters, 1996a;Krebsbach and Preusse, 2007;Sofieva et al, 2007;Alexander et al, 2008), radars (e.g. Nakamura et al, 1996;Serafimovich et al, 2005), OH-Imagers (e.g. Stockwell and Lowe, 2001;Suzuki et al, 2004), radiosonde soundings (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal changes in gravity wave activity measured by lidars at mid-latitudes

2008

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Apart from some gaps due to the adverse weather conditions the measurements are well distributed throughout the year. Comprehensive information about the activity of mediumand low-frequency gravity waves was extracted from this data set. The dominating vertical wavelengths found are between 10 and 20 km and do not show any seasonal variation. In contrast the temperature fluctuations due to gravity waves experience a clear annual cycle with a maximum in winter. The most significant differences exist around 60 km where the fluctuations in winter are more than two times larger than they are in summer. Only small seasonal differences are observed above 90 km and below 35 km. Generally, the fluctuations grow from about 0.5 K up to 8 K between 20 and 100 km. Damping of waves is observed at nearly all altitudes and in all seasons. The planetary wave activity shows a similar structure in altitude and season as the gravity wave activity which indicates that similar mechanisms influencing different scales. Combining the monthly mean temperatures and the fluctuations we show that the transition between winter and summer season and vice versa seems to start in the mesopause region and to penetrate downward.

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“…In several cases, they identified dynamics that appear to be unique to the summer 2002 environment. These include: 1) influences of Southern Hemisphere planetary wave activity on the Northern Hemisphere polar summer structure (Becker et al, 2004), 2) enhanced gravity wave amplitudes and gradients (Schöch et al, 2004;Williams et al, 2004; Fig. 10.…”

Section: Summer Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the MLT, in contrast, gravity wave and tidal influences are much more dramatic. Their influences include, among others, interactions, filtering, and dissipation that result in strong local body forces (Reid et al, 1988;Fritts and Yuan, 1989), modulation of wave motions at lower and higher frequencies (Fritts and Vincent, 1987;Wang and Fritts, 1990;Forbes et al, 1991;Lu and Fritts, 1993;McLandress and Ward, 1994;Broutman et al, 1997;Eckermann, 1997;Norton and Thuburn, 1996;Mayr et al, 1998;Meyer, 1999aMeyer, , 1999b, closure of the mesospheric jets in the summer and winter hemispheres (Dunkerton, 1982;Holton, 1982Holton, , 1983Garcia and Solomon, 1985), and a strong vertical and meridional circulation from the summer to the winter hemisphere near the mesopause that accounts for the cold summer mesopause and warm winter mesopause (Nastrom et al, 1982;Fritts and Yuan, 1989;Garcia, 1989;Fritts and Luo, 1995;Fritts and Alexander, 2003). For these reasons, the mesopause is a site of intense current scientific interest.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The MaCWAVE program to study gravity wave influences on the polar mesosphere

et al. 2006

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Abstract. MaCWAVE (Mountain and Convective WavesAscending VErtically) was a highly coordinated rocket, ground-based, and satellite program designed to address gravity wave forcing of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). The MaCWAVE program was conducted at the Norwegian Andøya Rocket Range (ARR, 69.3 • N) in July 2002, and continued at the Swedish Rocket Range (Esrange, 67.9 • N) during January 2003. Correlative instrumentation included the ALOMAR MF and MST radars and RMR and Na lidars, Esrange MST and meteor radars and RMR lidar, radiosondes, and TIMED (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics) satellite measurements of thermal structures. The data have been used to define both the mean fields and the wave field structures and turbulence generation leading to forcing of the large-scale flow. In summer, launch sequences coupled with groundbased measurements at ARR addressed the forcing of the summer mesopause environment by anticipated convective and shear generated gravity waves. These motions were measured with two 12-h rocket sequences, each involving one Terrier-Orion payload accompanied by a mix of MET rockets, all at ARR in Norway. The MET rockets were used to define the temperature and wind structure of the stratosphere and mesosphere. The Terrier-Orions were designed to measure small-scale plasma fluctuations and turbulence that might be induced by wave breaking in the mesosphere. For the summer series, three European MIDAS (Middle Atmosphere Dynamics and Structure) rockets were also launched from ARR in coordination with the MaCWAVE Correspondence to: R. A. Goldberg (richard.a.goldberg@nasa.gov) payloads. These were designed to measure plasma and neutral turbulence within the MLT. The summer program exhibited a number of indications of significant departures of the mean wind and temperature structures from "normal" polar summer conditions, including an unusually warm mesopause and a slowing of the formation of polar mesospheric summer echoes (PMSE) and noctilucent clouds (NLC). This was suggested to be due to enhanced planetary wave activity in the Southern Hemisphere and a surprising degree of interhemispheric coupling. The winter program was designed to study the upward propagation and penetration of mountain waves from northern Scandinavia into the MLT at a site favored for such penetration. As the major response was expected to be downstream (east) of Norway, these motions were measured with similar rocket sequences to those used in the summer campaign, but this time at Esrange. However, a major polar stratospheric warming just prior to the rocket launch window induced small or reversed stratospheric zonal winds, which prevented mountain wave penetration into the mesosphere. Instead, mountain waves encountered critical levels at lower altitudes and the observed wave structure in the mesosphere originated from other sources. For example, a large-amplitude semidiurnal tide was observed in the mesosphere on 28 and 29 January, and appears to have contributed to significant in...

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Gravity waves in the troposphere and stratosphere during the MaCWAVE/MIDAS summer rocket program

Cited by 16 publications

References 19 publications

The MaCWAVE/MIDAS rocket and ground‐based measurements of polar summer dynamics: Overview and mean state structure

The MaCWAVE/MIDAS rocket and ground‐based measurements of polar summer dynamics: Overview and mean state structure

Seasonal changes in gravity wave activity measured by lidars at mid-latitudes

The MaCWAVE program to study gravity wave influences on the polar mesosphere

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