Gravity Wave Detection from Hirdls

Abstract:

Gravity wave detection and analysis has been one of the major triumphs of the HIRDLS instrument on Aura, with the instrument's high vertical resolution giving access to regions of the wave spectrum previously inaccessible to any satellite instrument. Measurements from HIRDLS have significantly advanced our understanding of the distribution and characteristics of these waves, which are a vitally important component in our dynamical understanding of the middle and upper atmosphere and play key roles in atmospheric processes at all scales.

Here, we present detailed analyses of the wave spectrum observed by HIRDLS using techniques capable of detecting overlapping wave signals in the data. In particular, we decompose these results as a function of both horizontal and vertical wavelength, and show how this distribution varies both spatially and temporally, at seasonal and shorter timescales. We further consider how these results compare to other instruments observing gravity waves, and how they impact upon the modelling of gravity waves at both climate and weather scales, in particular considering how the uniquely high resolution of HIRDLS contributes to the state of the art of our understanding.