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Series

1998

Gravity waves

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Physics

Long Base-Line Measurements Of Short Period Mesospheric Gravity Waves During The Seek Campaign, Michael J. Taylor, S. H. Seo, T. Nakamura, T. Tsuda, H. Fukunishi, Y. Takahashi Jun 1998

Long Base-Line Measurements Of Short Period Mesospheric Gravity Waves During The Seek Campaign, Michael J. Taylor, S. H. Seo, T. Nakamura, T. Tsuda, H. Fukunishi, Y. Takahashi

All Physics Faculty Publications

Simultaneous observations of short‐period (<1 hour) mesospheric gravity waves were made over an extended base‐line (∼660 km) from two sites in Japan (at Shigaraki and Yamagawa) during the SEEK (Sporadic‐E Experiment over Kyushu) campaign, 9–23 August, 1996. Coincident image data obtained on four nights provided a rare opportunity to investigate the horizontal spatial extent and propagation characteristics of the waves in detail. Surprisingly, out of a total of 12 events observed from Shigaraki and 10 from Yamagawa at most only three exhibited similar propagation characteristics at each site. The majority of the wave displays (∼70–75%) had quite dissimilar characteristics suggesting a preponderance for localized wave motions of limited lifetimes and geographical extent. A marked preference for wave progression towards the N‐NE indicates that the gravity waves imaged in the near infrared OH and OI (557.7 nm) nightglow emissions were probably not directly associated with the observed E‐region irregularities.


Application Of Tomographic Inversion In Studying Airglow In The Mesopause Region, T. Nygren, Michael J. Taylor, M. S. Lehtinen, M. Markkanen Apr 1998

Application Of Tomographic Inversion In Studying Airglow In The Mesopause Region, T. Nygren, Michael J. Taylor, M. S. Lehtinen, M. Markkanen

All Physics Faculty Publications

It is pointed out that observations of periodic nightglow structures give excellent information on atmospheric gravity waves in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The periods, the horizontal wavelengths and the phase speeds of the waves can be determined from airglow images and, using several cameras, the approximate altitude of the luminous layer can also be determined by triangulation. In this paper the possibility of applying tomographic methods for reconstructing the airglow structures is investigated using numerical simulations. A ground-based chain of cameras is assumed, two-dimensional airglow models in the vertical plane above the chain are constructed, and simulated data are …


Dynamic And Chemical Aspects Of The Mesospheric Na ‘Wall’ Event On 9 October 1993 During The Aloha Campaign, G. R. Swenson, J. Qian, J. M.C. Plane, P. J. Espy, Michael J. Taylor, D. N. Turnbull, R. P. Lowe Apr 1998

Dynamic And Chemical Aspects Of The Mesospheric Na ‘Wall’ Event On 9 October 1993 During The Aloha Campaign, G. R. Swenson, J. Qian, J. M.C. Plane, P. J. Espy, Michael J. Taylor, D. N. Turnbull, R. P. Lowe

All Physics Faculty Publications

On October 9, 1993, observations were made from the National Center for Atmospheric Research Electra aircraft during a flight from Maui, Hawaii, toward a low-pressure system NW of the island, a flight of 7 hours in total. The leading edge (wall) of a bright airglow layer was observed 900 km NW of Maui at 0815 UT, which was traveling at 75 m s−1 toward the SE, reaching Haleakala, Maui, about 3.25 hours later [see Swenson and Espy, 1995]. An intriguing feature associated with the event was the large increase in the mesospheric Na column density at the wall (∼180%). The …


Full-Wave Modeling Of Small-Scale Gravity Waves Using Airborne Lidar And Observations Of The Hawaiian Airglow (Aloha-93) O(1s) Images & Coincident Na Wind/Temperature Lidar Measurements, M. P. Hickey, Michael J. Taylor, C. S. Gardner, C. R. Gibbons Mar 1998

Full-Wave Modeling Of Small-Scale Gravity Waves Using Airborne Lidar And Observations Of The Hawaiian Airglow (Aloha-93) O(1s) Images & Coincident Na Wind/Temperature Lidar Measurements, M. P. Hickey, Michael J. Taylor, C. S. Gardner, C. R. Gibbons

All Physics Faculty Publications

Measurements were made of mesospheric gravity waves in the OI (5577 Å) nightglow observed from Maui, Hawaii, during the Airborne Lidar and Observations of Hawaiian Airglow (ALOHA-93) 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 four waves through the mesopause region and calculated the O(1 S) nightglow response to the waves. Mean winds derived from Na wind/temperature lidar observations were employed in the computations. Wave amplitudes were calculated based on the requirement that the observed and simulated …