A Correlation Study on Sources of Inertia-Gravity Waves Observed with Lidar in the Antarctic Middle and Upper Atmosphere at McMurdo.

Abstract:

Year-round temperature measurements during both day and night, from 30 to 110 km have been ongoing for 5 years up to date at McMurdo, Antarctica. Discovery of the persistent and dominant 3-10 h inertia-gravity waves (IGWs) challenge our understanding of gravity waves and urge research on the sources and mechanisms that generate these persistent waves. Located inside of the polar vortex, near the transantarctic mountain orographic wave hot spot, the oberved 3-10 h IGWs can be generated by either the instabilies in the jet streams or oragraphic sources or both. This study is to correlate the locations and intensities of the polar jet streams using the ECMWF data with those of the observed 3-10 h IGWs. Comparison will be made between simultaneous observations at McMurdo and Davis station. Comparison between waves observed inside (McMurdo) and outside of the polar vortex area (Lauder) will also be made. This may help us identify the sources and mechanisms that generate these persistent waves and on their impacts in the general circulation and chemical circulation models.