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Full-Text Articles in Atmospheric Sciences
Further Investigations Of A Mesospheric Inversion Layer Observed In The Aloha-93 Campaign, Tai-Yin Huang, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D., Tai-Fu Tuan
Further Investigations Of A Mesospheric Inversion Layer Observed In The Aloha-93 Campaign, Tai-Yin Huang, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D., Tai-Fu Tuan
Michael P. Hickey
Temperature and wind data obtained from a Na wind/temperature lidar operated by the University of Illinois group during the Airborne Lidar and Observations of the Hawaiian Airglow (ALOHA-93) Campaign, previously analyzed by Huang et al. [1998] using an isothermal Brunt-Va¨isa¨la¨ frequency, have been reexamined to include temperature gradients in the calculation of the Richardson number. In the previous analysis using the isothermal Brunt-Va¨isa¨la¨ frequency the existence of convective instability could not be assessed. New analysis shows that the nonisothermal Richardson number preserves some features found previously, with some striking differences noticable at times between 0900 and 1030 UT. The nonisothermal …
Gravity Wave Ducting In The Upper Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere Duct System, R. L. Walterscheid, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D.
Gravity Wave Ducting In The Upper Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere Duct System, R. L. Walterscheid, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D.
Michael P. Hickey
We report on a numerical study of gravity wave propagation in a pair of ducts located in a region where dramatic changes in the airglow most likely associated with ducted wave trains are observed. We examine ducting in an upper mesosphere inversion (INV) and an always present lower thermosphere stable layer (LTD) for a range of phase speeds and horizontal wavelengths characteristic of ducting events. We analyze the propagation and modal structure of ducted waves for backgrounds with increasing realism, starting with a climatological temperature profile where only the LTD is present. In succession, we add the INV based on …
Time-Resolved Ducting Of Atmospheric Acoustic-Gravity Waves By Analysis Of The Vertical Energy Flux, Yonghui Yu, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D.
Time-Resolved Ducting Of Atmospheric Acoustic-Gravity Waves By Analysis Of The Vertical Energy Flux, Yonghui Yu, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D.
Michael P. Hickey
A new 2-D time-dependent model is used to simulate the propagation of an acoustic-gravity wave packet in the atmosphere. A Gaussian tropospheric heat source is assumed with a forcing period of 6.276 minutes. The atmospheric thermal structure creates three discrete wave ducts in the stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere, respectively. The horizontally averaged vertical energy flux is derived over altitude and time in order to examine the time-resolved ducting. This ducting is characterized by alternating upward and downward energy fluxes within a particular duct, which clearly show the reflections occurring from the duct boundaries. These ducting simulations are the first …
Numerical Modeling Of A Gravity Wave Packet Ducted By The Thermal Structure Of The Atmosphere, Yonghui Yu, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D.
Numerical Modeling Of A Gravity Wave Packet Ducted By The Thermal Structure Of The Atmosphere, Yonghui Yu, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D.
Michael P. Hickey
A time-dependent and fully nonlinear numerical model is employed to solve the Navier-Stokes equations in two spatial dimensions and to describe the propagation of a Gaussian gravity wave packet generated in the troposphere. A Fourier spectral analysis is used to analyze the frequency power spectra of the wave packet, which propagates through and dwells within several thermal ducting regions. The frequency power spectra of the wave packet are derived at several discrete altitudes, which allow us to determine the evolution of the packet. This spectral analysis also clearly reveals the existence of a stratospheric duct, a mesospheric and lower thermospheric …
Numerical Simulations Of Gravity Waves Imaged Over Arecibo During The 10-Day January 1993 Campaign, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D., R. L. Walterscheid, Michael J. Taylor, William Ward, G. Schubert, Qihou Zhou, Francisco Garcia, Michael C. Kelly, G. G. Shepherd
Numerical Simulations Of Gravity Waves Imaged Over Arecibo During The 10-Day January 1993 Campaign, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D., R. L. Walterscheid, Michael J. Taylor, William Ward, G. Schubert, Qihou Zhou, Francisco Garcia, Michael C. Kelly, G. G. Shepherd
Michael P. Hickey
Recently, measurements were made of mesospheric gravity waves in the OI (5577 Å) nightglow observed from Arecibo, Puerto Rico, during January 1993 as part of a special 10-day campaign. Clear, monochromatic gravity waves were observed on several nights. By using a full-wave model that realistically includes the major physical processes in this region, we have simulated the propagation of two waves through the mesopause region and calculated the O(¹S) nightglow response to the waves. Mean winds derived from both UARS wind imaging interferometer (WINDII) and Arecibo incoherent scatter radar observations were employed in the computations as were the …
Simulated Ducting Of High-Frequency Atmospheric Gravity Waves In The Presence Of Background Winds, Yonghui Yu, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D.
Simulated Ducting Of High-Frequency Atmospheric Gravity Waves In The Presence Of Background Winds, Yonghui Yu, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D.
Michael P. Hickey
A new nonlinear and time-dependent model is used to derive the total perturbation energy flux of two gravity wave packets propagating from the troposphere to the lower thermosphere. They are excited by a heat source and respectively propagate in an eastward and westward direction in the presence of a zonal wind. Analysis of the refractive index, the power spectra and the total perturbation energy flux allows us to correctly interpret the ducting characteristics of these two wave packets. In our study the wind acts as a directional filter to the wave propagations and causes noticeable spectral variations at higher altitudes. …
An Intense Traveling Airglow Front In The Upper Mesosphere–Lower Thermosphere With Characteristics Of A Bore Observed Over Alice Springs, Australia, During A Strong 2 Day Wave Episode, R. L. Walterscheid, J. H. Hecht, L. J. Galinas, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D., I. M. Reid
An Intense Traveling Airglow Front In The Upper Mesosphere–Lower Thermosphere With Characteristics Of A Bore Observed Over Alice Springs, Australia, During A Strong 2 Day Wave Episode, R. L. Walterscheid, J. H. Hecht, L. J. Galinas, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D., I. M. Reid
Michael P. Hickey
The Aerospace Corporation’s Nightglow Imager observed a large step function change in airglow in the form of a traveling front in the OH Meinel (OHM) and O2 atmospheric (O2A) airglow emissions over Alice Springs, Australia, on 2 February 2003. The front exhibited nearly a factor of 2 stepwise increase in the OHM brightness and a stepwise decrease in the O2A brightness. There was significant (~25 K) cooling behind the airglow fronts. The OHM airglow brightness behind the front was among the brightest for Alice Springs that we have measured in 7 years of observations. The event was associated with a …