Investigating Mesospheric Gravity Wave Dynamics Over McMurdo Station, Antarctica (77° S)

Abstract:

The ANtarctic Gravity Wave Instrument Network (ANGWIN) is an NSF sponsored international program designed to develop and utilize a network of gravity wave observatories using existing and new instrumentation operated at several established research stations around the continent. The primary goal is to better understand and quantify large-scale gravity wave climatology and their effects on the upper atmosphere over Antarctica. ANGWIN currently comprises research measurements from five nations (U.S., U.K., Australia, Japan, and Brazil) at seven international stations. Utah State University’s Atmospheric Imaging Lab operates an all-sky CCD, all-sky infrared imagers and an Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (AMTM) imager at several research stations (Davis, Halley, Rothera, McMurdo, and South Pole). In this poster we present new measurements, mainly focusing on short-period (< 1 hour) mesospheric gravity waves, imaged from McMurdo Station (77°S, 166°E) on Ross Island, Antarctica. The infrared camera has operated successfully from the NSF Arrival Heights Facility alongside the University of Colorado Fe Lidar during the past three winter seasons (March-September 2012-2014). Image data were recorded every ~10 seconds enabling detailed measurements of individual gravity wave events in the infrared OH emission layer (peak altitude ~87 km). Here we present example data illustrating the broad range of wave activity observed at this site and summarize novel measurements of the wave characteristics observed during the first two winter seasons. The results are contrasted with other emerging ANGWIN wave measurements from around the continent.