Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Propagation Of Tsunami-Driven Gravity Waves Into The Thermosphere And Ionosphere, Michael P. Hickey, G. Schubert, R. L. Walterscheid

Publications

Recent observations have revealed large F-region electron density perturbations (~100%) and total electron content (TEC) perturbations (~30%) that appear to be correlated with tsunamis. The characteristic speed and horizontal wavelength of the disturbances are ~200 m/s and ~400 km. We describe numerical simulations using our spectral full-wave model (SFWM) of the upward propagation of a spectrum of gravity waves forced by a tsunami, and the interaction of these waves with the F-region ionosphere. The SFWM describes the propagation of linear, steady-state acoustic-gravity waves in a nonisothermal atmosphere with the inclusion of eddy and molecular diffusion of heat and momentum, ion …