The affect on the thermosphere and ionosphere of atmospheric gravity waves excited by tsunamis

Abstract:

In this paper, we describe a new atmospheric gravity wave (GW)
model that we have developed to calculate the GW spectrum excited
by a tsunami, and to determine the thermospheric response to those
GWs. This model is a combination of 2 models, the first which
determines the excited GW spectrum using new compressible solutions
to vertical body forces at the ocean surface, and the second which
sprinkles the GWs into the tsunami region, ray traces them into the
thermosphere through realistic viscosity, and reconstructs the GW
field in the thermosphere. We then apply this model to the recent
Tohoku tsunami as it neared the island of Hawaii. We also estimate
the effect on the ionosphere using a single ion approximation. 
Using this model, we show that "fast" GWs are excited by a tsunami
having phase speeds that are much larger than the tsunami. These
fast GWs reach the ionosphere ~1 hour before the tsunami reaches
land below.