Nonlinear Behavior in the Propagation of Atmospheric Gravity Waves

Franke, P. M.; Robinson, Walter A.

doi:10.1175/1520-0469(1999)056<3010:nbitpo>2.0.co;2

Cited by 44 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Some studies used two-dimensional models (e.g., Franke and Robinson 1999;Satomura and Sato 1999;Lane and Sharman 2006) while others argue that three-dimensional simulations are needed to accurately capture the full physics (Andreassen et al 1994;Fritts and Alexander 2003). Gravity waves from transient sources such as convective clouds are also suitable for wavelet energy flux analysis.…”

Section: Conclusion Regarding Mountain Waves Near the Tropopausementioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Flux and Wavelet Diagnostics of Secondary Mountain Waves

Woods

Smith

2010

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

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In recent years, aircraft data from mountain waves have been primarily analyzed using velocity and temperature power spectrum and momentum flux estimation. Herein it is argued that energy flux wavelets (i.e., pressure-velocity wavelet cross-spectra) provide a more powerful tool for locating and classifying different types of mountain waves. In the first part of the paper, pressure-velocity cross-spectra using various linear mountain-wave solutions are shown to be capable of disentangling collocated waves with different propagation directions and wavelength. A field of group velocity vectors can also be determined.In the second part, the energy flux wavelet technique is applied to five cases of mountain waves entering the stratosphere from the Terrain-Induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX) in 2006. Perturbation pressure along the flight track is determined using aircraft static pressure corrected hydrostatically with GPS altitude. In four of the cases, collocated long up-propagating and short down-propagating waves are seen in the stratosphere. These waves have strong, but opposite, p9w9 cospectra. In one of these cases, a patch of turbulence is collocated with the up and down waves. In two other cases, trapped waves riding on the tropopause inversion layer (TIL) are seen. These trapped waves have p9w9 quadrature spectra that reverse sign across the tropopause. These newly discovered wave types may arise from secondary wave generation (i.e., a nonlinear transfer of energy from the long vertically propagating waves to shorter modes).

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Section: Conclusion Regarding Mountain Waves Near the Tropopausementioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Flux and Wavelet Diagnostics of Secondary Mountain Waves

Woods

Smith

2010

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

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“…The results of these studies vary somewhat according to the setup of the problem (e.g., Bacmeister and Schoeberl, 1989;Afanasyev and Peltier 2001;Franke and Robinson 1999;Doyle et al 2005). All find wave breaking and some report a secondary generation of gravity waves from the breaking region.…”

Section: The Flux Reversal On 16 April 2006 (Rf 10 Iop 13)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mountain Waves Entering the Stratosphere

Smith

Woods

Jensen³

et al. 2008

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

109

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Using the National Science Foundation (NSF)-NCAR Gulfstream V and the NSF-Wyoming King Air research aircraft during the Terrain-Induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX) in March-April 2006, six cases of Sierra Nevada mountain waves were surveyed with 126 cross-mountain legs. The goal was to identify the influence of the tropopause on waves entering the stratosphere. During each flight leg, part of the variation in observed parameters was due to parameter layering, heaving up and down in the waves. Diagnosis of the combined wave-layering signal was aided with innovative use of new GPS altitude measurements. The ozone and water vapor layering correlated with layered Bernoulli function and cross-flow speed.GPS-corrected static pressure was used to compute the vertical energy flux, confirming, for the first time, the Eliassen-Palm relation between momentum and energy flux (EF ϭ ϪU • MF). Kinetic (KE) and potential (PE) wave energy densities were also computed. The equipartition ratio (EQR ϭ PE/KE) changed abruptly across the tropopause, indicating partial wave reflection. In one case (16 April 2006) systematically reversed momentum and energy fluxes were found in the stratosphere above 12 km. On a "wave property diagram," three families of waves were identified: up-and downgoing long waves (30 km) and shorter (14 km) trapped waves. For the latter two types, an explanation is proposed related to secondary generation near the tropopause and reflection or secondary generation in the lower stratosphere.

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“…The secondary GW spectrum spans a large range of horizontal wavelengths λ H and peaks at λ H ∼2 L , where L is the full width of the body force. Secondary GWs are also generated by strong nonlinearities that occur when the primary waves break; these secondary GWs are generated at “higher harmonics” and typically have shorter scales and higher frequencies than the primary GWs (Bacmeister & Schoeberl, ; Satomura & Sato, ; Franke & Robinson, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secondary Gravity Waves in the Winter Mesosphere: Results From a High‐Resolution Global Circulation Model

2018

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This study analyzes a new high‐resolution general circulation model with regard to secondary gravity waves in the mesosphere during austral winter. The model resolves gravity waves down to horizontal and vertical wavelengths of 165 and 1.5 km, respectively. The resolved mean wave drag agrees well with that from a conventional model with parameterized gravity waves up to the midmesosphere in winter and up to the upper mesosphere in summer. About half of the zonal‐mean vertical flux of westward momentum in the southern winter stratosphere is due to orographic gravity waves. The high intermittency of the primary orographic gravity waves gives rise to secondary waves that result in a substantial eastward drag in the winter mesopause region. This induces an additional eastward maximum of the mean zonal wind at z ∼ 100 km. Radar and lidar measurements at polar latitudes and results from other high‐resolution global models are consistent with this finding. Hence, secondary gravity waves may play a significant role in the general circulation of the winter mesopause region.

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Nonlinear Behavior in the Propagation of Atmospheric Gravity Waves

Cited by 44 publications

References 18 publications

Energy Flux and Wavelet Diagnostics of Secondary Mountain Waves

Energy Flux and Wavelet Diagnostics of Secondary Mountain Waves

Mountain Waves Entering the Stratosphere

Secondary Gravity Waves in the Winter Mesosphere: Results From a High‐Resolution Global Circulation Model

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