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Gravity wave momentum flux in the mesosphere measured by VHF radar at Davis, Antarctica

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 12:34 authored by Peter LovePeter Love, Murphy, DJ
Polar mesospheric summer echoes observed in VHF MST radar measurements at Davis, Antarctica 68.5°S, 78.0°E, are used to measure high-frequency gravity wave momentum flux in the vicinity of the mesopause during the Southern Hemisphere summer of 2014–2015. The momentum flux spectrum is generally isotropic with a slight bias in the seasonal mean toward the southeast. Zonal and meridional components of the seasonal mean momentum flux are an order of magnitude smaller than the absolute momentum flux. Diurnal and semidiurnal modulation of the momentum flux correspond to perturbations of the seasonal mean winds by atmospheric tides. Quantitative measures of gravity wave intermittency yield high values and increase with altitude through the mesopause region. These intermittency characteristics are attributed to the increase with altitude of wind variability through the mesopause region as a result of the tides.

History

Publication title

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

Volume

121

Issue

21

Pagination

12,723-12.736

ISSN

2169-897X

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc.

Place of publication

United Kingdom

Rights statement

Copyright 2016 American Geophysical Union

Repository Status

  • Open

Socio-economic Objectives

Atmospheric processes and dynamics

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