Document Type

Presentation

Journal/Book Title/Conference

IAGA/IASPEI Joint Scientific Meeting 2025

Publisher

International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy

Publication Date

9-1-2025

First Page

1

Last Page

13

Abstract

Although smaller scale gravity waves (GWs) (horizontal wavelengths ~30–300 km) are thought to account for the dominant energy and momentum inputs at the Ionosphere-Thermosphere-Mesosphere (ITM) altitudes, the sources, variability, and influences of these smaller-scale GWs are still major unknowns. The NASA Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) is designed to measure these GWs in the mesopause region. In November 2023, AWE was successfully launched and deployed on the International Space Station (ISS) and science data collection was started. The AWE instrument maps the nighttime hydroxyl (OH) layer (~87 km), providing 2D GW fields in mesospheric temperature and OH band intensity over a 600 km field-of-view, every second.

This presentation will utilize the first year of AWE measurements to investigate the global distribution of GWs and their seasonal, hemispheric characteristics in the mesosphere. Model results (WACCM-X and NAVGEM) will be utilized to investigate the wave propagation conditions and possible sources in the lower atmosphere.

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