Large amplitude gravity waves above the Southern Andes, the Drake Passage and the Antarctic Peninsula
Above the southern Andes range and its prolongation in the Antarctic Peninsula, large-amplitude mountain and shear gravity waves observed with Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model simulations during winter 2009 are analyzed. Two specific reasons motivated this study: (1) a decade o...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres |
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ftgfzpotsdam:oai:gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de:item_245383 2023-05-15T13:40:19+02:00 Large amplitude gravity waves above the Southern Andes, the Drake Passage and the Antarctic Peninsula de la Torre, A. Alexander, P. Hierro, R. Llamedo, P. Rolla, A. Schmidt, T. Wickert, J. 2012 https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_245383 unknown info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1029/2011JD016377 https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_245383 Journal of Geophysical Research 550 - Earth sciences info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2012 ftgfzpotsdam https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JD016377 2022-09-14T05:54:34Z Above the southern Andes range and its prolongation in the Antarctic Peninsula, large-amplitude mountain and shear gravity waves observed with Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model simulations during winter 2009 are analyzed. Two specific reasons motivated this study: (1) a decade of satellite observations of temperature fluctuations in the stratosphere, allowing us to infer that this region may be launching the largest-amplitude gravity waves into the upper atmosphere, and (2) the recent design of a research program to investigate these features in detail, the Southern Andes Antarctic Gravity wave Initiative (SAANGRIA). The simulations are forced with ERA-Interim data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The approach selected for the regional downscaling is based on consecutive integrations with weekly reinitialization with 24 h of spin-up, and the outputs during this period are excluded from the analysis. From 1 June to 31 August 2009, five case studies were selected on the basis of their outstanding characteristics and large wave amplitudes. In general, one or two prevailing modes of oscillation are identified after applying continuous wavelet transforms at constant pressure levels and perpendicularly to the nominal orientation of the dominant wave crests. In all cases, the dominant modes are characterized by horizontal wavelengths around 50 km. Their vertical wavelengths, depending on a usually strong background wind shear, are estimated to be between 2 and 11 km. The corresponding intrinsic periods range between 10 and 140 min. In general, the estimated vertical wavelength (intrinsic period) maximizes (minimizes) around 250–300 hPa. The synoptic circulation for each case is described. Zonal and meridional components of the vertical flux of horizontal momentum are shown in detail for each case, including possible horizontal wavelengths between 12 and 400 km. Large values of this flux are observed at higher pressure levels, decreasing with increasing height after a ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Drake Passage GFZpublic (German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam) Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Drake Passage Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 117 D2 n/a n/a |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
GFZpublic (German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam) |
op_collection_id |
ftgfzpotsdam |
language |
unknown |
topic |
550 - Earth sciences |
spellingShingle |
550 - Earth sciences de la Torre, A. Alexander, P. Hierro, R. Llamedo, P. Rolla, A. Schmidt, T. Wickert, J. Large amplitude gravity waves above the Southern Andes, the Drake Passage and the Antarctic Peninsula |
topic_facet |
550 - Earth sciences |
description |
Above the southern Andes range and its prolongation in the Antarctic Peninsula, large-amplitude mountain and shear gravity waves observed with Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model simulations during winter 2009 are analyzed. Two specific reasons motivated this study: (1) a decade of satellite observations of temperature fluctuations in the stratosphere, allowing us to infer that this region may be launching the largest-amplitude gravity waves into the upper atmosphere, and (2) the recent design of a research program to investigate these features in detail, the Southern Andes Antarctic Gravity wave Initiative (SAANGRIA). The simulations are forced with ERA-Interim data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The approach selected for the regional downscaling is based on consecutive integrations with weekly reinitialization with 24 h of spin-up, and the outputs during this period are excluded from the analysis. From 1 June to 31 August 2009, five case studies were selected on the basis of their outstanding characteristics and large wave amplitudes. In general, one or two prevailing modes of oscillation are identified after applying continuous wavelet transforms at constant pressure levels and perpendicularly to the nominal orientation of the dominant wave crests. In all cases, the dominant modes are characterized by horizontal wavelengths around 50 km. Their vertical wavelengths, depending on a usually strong background wind shear, are estimated to be between 2 and 11 km. The corresponding intrinsic periods range between 10 and 140 min. In general, the estimated vertical wavelength (intrinsic period) maximizes (minimizes) around 250–300 hPa. The synoptic circulation for each case is described. Zonal and meridional components of the vertical flux of horizontal momentum are shown in detail for each case, including possible horizontal wavelengths between 12 and 400 km. Large values of this flux are observed at higher pressure levels, decreasing with increasing height after a ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
de la Torre, A. Alexander, P. Hierro, R. Llamedo, P. Rolla, A. Schmidt, T. Wickert, J. |
author_facet |
de la Torre, A. Alexander, P. Hierro, R. Llamedo, P. Rolla, A. Schmidt, T. Wickert, J. |
author_sort |
de la Torre, A. |
title |
Large amplitude gravity waves above the Southern Andes, the Drake Passage and the Antarctic Peninsula |
title_short |
Large amplitude gravity waves above the Southern Andes, the Drake Passage and the Antarctic Peninsula |
title_full |
Large amplitude gravity waves above the Southern Andes, the Drake Passage and the Antarctic Peninsula |
title_fullStr |
Large amplitude gravity waves above the Southern Andes, the Drake Passage and the Antarctic Peninsula |
title_full_unstemmed |
Large amplitude gravity waves above the Southern Andes, the Drake Passage and the Antarctic Peninsula |
title_sort |
large amplitude gravity waves above the southern andes, the drake passage and the antarctic peninsula |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_245383 |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Drake Passage |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Drake Passage |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Drake Passage |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Drake Passage |
op_source |
Journal of Geophysical Research |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1029/2011JD016377 https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_245383 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JD016377 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres |
container_volume |
117 |
container_issue |
D2 |
container_start_page |
n/a |
op_container_end_page |
n/a |
_version_ |
1766132114301911040 |