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Full-Text Articles in Physics

Investigating Atmospheric Gravity Waves Using 3-Dimensional Spectral Analysis, Kenneth I. Zia Dec 2022

Investigating Atmospheric Gravity Waves Using 3-Dimensional Spectral Analysis, Kenneth I. Zia

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Atmospheric gravity waves (GW) are generated from the ground and go into the upper layers of the atmosphere where space begins. These waves have strong effects on the temperature and circulation of the Earth’s atmosphere. The temperature changes caused by these waves are observed through special cameras looking at light that the Earth’s atmosphere naturally emit at night. One of these cameras is placed at McMurdo Station, Antarctica where the long nights are used to see these waves longer than anywhere else. The images captured there are automatically analyzed to determine wave properties to better understand how often they are …


Acoustic Waves In The Upper Atmosphere, Geoffrey Blayne Schulthess May 2022

Acoustic Waves In The Upper Atmosphere, Geoffrey Blayne Schulthess

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Atmospheric waves can be generated by tropospheric sources such as earthquakes and explosions, causing significant disturbances in the upper atmosphere and ionosphere, where radio wave communications take place. For this analysis, they will be separated into two sub-groups called acoustic waves and gravity waves. Because each of these waves have unique frequency ranges, they can be observed and measured in order to determine their source type and location. Past studies attempted to build the connections between these waves with severe storms and earthquakes, which have improved our understanding of their complexity. Because of the complex nature of these waves, simplified …


Characteristics Of Mesospheric Temperature And Gravity Waves Over Chile In 2020-2021, Damien M. Devitt, Kenneth Zia May 2022

Characteristics Of Mesospheric Temperature And Gravity Waves Over Chile In 2020-2021, Damien M. Devitt, Kenneth Zia

Physics Capstone Projects

Gravity waves (GWs) are often confused with gravitational waves in the fabric of space time. However, there is a clear distinction between them. Gravity wave is a term used by the atmospheric research field to describe perturbations in the atmosphere. Gravity pulls the perturbations down and causes oscillations, these present in the form of waves. The best visualization is to think of ripples on a pond, as the ripple reaches its peak gravity pulls the ripple down and creates an oscillating effect.


Investigating Mountain Waves In Mtm Image Data At Cerro Pachon, Chile, Neal R. Criddle, M. J. Taylor, P.-D. Pautet, Y. Zhao, G. Swenson, A. Liu Jan 2012

Investigating Mountain Waves In Mtm Image Data At Cerro Pachon, Chile, Neal R. Criddle, M. J. Taylor, P.-D. Pautet, Y. Zhao, G. Swenson, A. Liu

Neal R Criddle

Gravity waves are important drivers of chemical species mixing, energy and momentum transfer into the MLT (~80 - 100 km) region. As part of a collaborative program involving instruments from several institutions Utah State University has operated a Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (MTM) at the new Andes Lidar Observatory (ALO) on Cerro Pachon (30.2°S, 70.7°W) Since August 2009. A primary goal of this program is to quantify the impact of mountain waves on the MLT region. The Andes region is an excellent natural laboratory for investigating gravity wave influences on the MLT region, especially the study of mountain waves, created by …


Seasonal Variability And Dynamics Of Mesospheric Gravity Waves Over The Andes, Neal R. Criddle, M. J. Taylor, P.-D. Pautet, Y. Zhao Jan 2011

Seasonal Variability And Dynamics Of Mesospheric Gravity Waves Over The Andes, Neal R. Criddle, M. J. Taylor, P.-D. Pautet, Y. Zhao

Neal R Criddle

The ALO is a new facility developed for atmospheric research, located at the foot of the Andes mountain range in Cerro Pachon, Chile (30.2°S, 70.7°W). As part of a collaborative program, Utah State has a Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (MTM) on site, which is used to study short period gravity wave dynamics and temperature variations in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere region. The MTM began taking measurements of the OH(6,2) and O2(0,1) spectral bands in August 2009 and a complete profile of seasonal variation in gravity wave characteristics has been created for August 2009 through August 2010 using the OH(6,2) Band. The primary …


Utilising Riometry To Observe Gravity Waves In The Sunlit Mesosphere, M. J. Jarvis, R. E. Hibbins, Michael J. Taylor, T. J. Rosenberg Oct 2003

Utilising Riometry To Observe Gravity Waves In The Sunlit Mesosphere, M. J. Jarvis, R. E. Hibbins, Michael J. Taylor, T. J. Rosenberg

All Physics Faculty Publications

The novel use of imaging riometers to observe mesospheric gravity waves is described. Imaging riometers respond to changes in the absorption of cosmic radio noise in the ionospheric D-region which enables them to detect the compression and rarefaction of the atmosphere at 90 km altitude generated by the passage of gravity waves. A considerable advantage of this method is that, unlike conventional techniques which rely on imaging faint optical emissions from the airglow layer at 87 km altitude, riometers remain operative under daylit, moonlit or cloudy conditions. This is particularly important for research into gravity wave forcing of mesospheric temperature …