Wind-profiler observations of gravity waves produced by convection at mid-latitudes

Y. G. Choi (1) , S. C. Lee (2) , A. J. Mcdonald (3) , D. A. Hooper (4)

1 Geophysical Prospecting Laboratory
2 KASI - Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
3 DPA - Department of Physics and Astronomy [Christchurch]
4 RAL - STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

This work presents a case study which includes regions of large rapidly varying vertical velocities observed by a VHF wind-profiler at Aberystwyth (52.4° N, 4.1° W). Analysis indicates that this region is associated with gravity waves above the tropopause level and simultaneous regions of convective activity below the tropopause level. This case study also suggests that convective activity can be identified effectively by finding periods of large uncertainties on the derived velocities. These regions are hypothesized to be related to regions of small-scale inhomogeneity in the wind field.

Examination suggests that the large vertical velocity fluctuations above these convective regions are short period gravity wave packets as expected from theory. In addition the vertical flux of the horizontal momentum associated with the gravity waves also displays the pattern of reversal observed in previous studies.

Domaines: Océan, Atmosphère

Y. G. Choi, S. C. Lee, A. J. Mcdonald, D. A. Hooper. Wind-profiler observations of gravity waves produced by convection at mid-latitudes. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions, 2005, 5 (6), pp.11029-11054. ⟨hal-00301893⟩