HR: 0830h
AN: SA41B-0453    [PDF]
TI: Effects of High Frequency Gravity Waves on the Mean Flow in the Mesopause Region at Maui, Hawaii
AU: * Li, F
EM: fengli@uiuc.edu
AF: Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1308 West Main, Urbana, IL 61801 United States
AU: Liu, A Z
EM: liuzr@uiuc.edu
AF: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1308 West Main, Urbana, IL 61801 United States
AU: Swenson, G R
EM: swenson1@uiuc.edu
AF: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1308 West Main, Urbana, IL 61801 United States
AB: Simultaneous observations of the OH Meinel and O2 Atmospheric (0,1) airglow intensity have been made by an OH/O2 zenith photometer at Maui, Hawaii (20.7 N, 156.3 W) since Jan. 2002. By combining these data with coordinated measurements using an all-sky OH imager and a meteor radar, the amplitude and phase of the airglow perturbations in the OH and O2 layers, as well as the characteristics of the high frequency gravity waves that induce these fluctuations, are determined. The observed intensity perturbation amplitude ratio and phase difference between the O2 and OH layer are compared with a 1-D model prediction to infer the gravity wave damping rate. The results show that heavily damped gravity waves are commonly observed in the mesopause region. The resulted mean flow accelerations are significant, suggesting that high frequency gravity wave dissipation play an important role in the momentum budget in this region. Possible mechanisms for gravity wave dissipation will also be discussed.
DE: 0310 Airglow and aurora
DE: 0342 Middle atmosphere--energy deposition
DE: 3334 Middle atmosphere dynamics (0341, 0342)
DE: 3384 Waves and tides
SC: SPA - Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting