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
21
Abstract
A major source for the gravity waves (GW) measured in the stratosphere and higher is the orographic forcing produced by the tropospheric wind blowing over mountainous regions. Recent studies have shown that even small islands can generate waves which, under appropriate conditions, are able to penetrate above 80 km altitude, transporting large amount of momentum into the upper atmosphere. Investigating the exact effects of those islands is challenging because ground-based and even airborne measurements are limited above those generally isolated places.
The Utah State University (USU) Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) was designed and built to study mesospheric GW globally, even over inaccessible locations. This NASA-funded mission deployed an infrared imager on the International Space Station (ISS) in late 2023. It has been continuously taking images of the OH airglow layer every 1.1 s, over a 600-km radius, with a 2-km horizontal resolution, since November 22, 2023.
This presentation will describe AWE measurements of island-generated orographic waves around 87 km altitude. Numerous mountain wave observations have been obtained during the Austral winter 2024. The conditions for their deep propagation will be investigated using the NAVy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM) to understand their intermittency, and their effects on the upper atmosphere.
Recommended Citation
Pautet, P.-D.; Eckermann, S. D.; Scherliess, L.; Ma, J.; and Zhao, Y., "Orographic Wave Activity at Mesospheric Altitude Over the Southern Ocean Islands Observed by the Atmospheric Waves Experiment" (2025). Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications. Paper 449.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/sdl_pubs/449