Mountain Waves in the Middle Atmosphere: Microwave Limb Sounder Observations and Analyses

• Main Authors: Jiang, Jonathan H., Wu, Dong L., Eckermann, Stephen D., Ma, Jun
• Other Authors: CALIFORNIA INST OF TECHNOLOGY PASADENA JET PROPULSION LAB
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2003
• Subjects: Atmospheric Physics; *MESOSPHERE; *UPPER ATMOSPHERE; *GRAVITY WAVES; DISTRIBUTION; DYNAMICS; MICROWAVES; MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT; TOPOGRAPHY; MOUNTAINS; HORIZONTAL ORIENTATION; OROGRAPHY; HIGH LATITUDES; STREAMS; ANTARCTIC REGIONS; STRATOSPHERE; SEASONS; RIDGES; SCIENTIFIC SATELLITES; PHASE VELOCITY; NORTHERN HEMISPHERE; GLOBAL; REPRINTS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE; Antarctic; Greenland; New Zealand; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA525536; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA525536

Observations and analyses of mesoscale gravity waves in the stratosphere from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) are summarized, with focus on global distribution of topography related wave activities. We found most of the orographical wave activities occur during the winter seasons over high latitude mountain ridges. In the northern hemisphere, the strongest waves are those over Scandinavia, Central Eurasia, and southern Greenland, whereas in the southern hemisphere, wave activities are outstanding over the Andes, New Zealand, and Antarctic rim;, MLS observations suggest that these orographic waves are located mostly on the down stream side of the mountain ridge with downward phase progression and have horizontal phase velocities opposite to the stratospheric jet-stream. Future studies using MLS data and numerical modeling will lead to better understanding of gravity wave effects on dynamics and chemistry in the middle atmosphere. Published in Advances in Space Research, v32 n5 p801-806, 2003.