Session
2026 Session 2
Location
Orem, UT
Start Date
5-4-2026 9:40 AM
Description
Upward propagating atmospheric gravity waves transport energy and momentum through the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere. Often generated by disturbances in the troposphere and attributed to day-to-day variations in equatorial plasma bubbles, which are detrimental to guidance, navigation, and communication systems. Although these waves have been studied for decades, many questions still remain regarding the dynamics and morphology of gravity waves. Of particular interest is the seasonal and global distribution of concentric gravity waves (CGW), which are formed by deep convection in the troposphere (such as thunderstorms), as they directly exhibit coupling between measurable disturbances in both the lower and upper atmosphere. For this study, we used observation from NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) that observes GWs in the mesosphere (87 km altitude) with the goal of characterizing temporal and seasonal variations of GW. From these observations, 768 CGW events were identified between November 2023 to February 2024 and July 2024. The global distribution and occurrence rate of these waves were then compared those found in the stratosphere below and with those observed in the O2-band at 95 km above as shown in the Perwitasari et al [2016] IMAP study.
Concentric Gravity Waves Obtained From NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment
Orem, UT
Upward propagating atmospheric gravity waves transport energy and momentum through the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere. Often generated by disturbances in the troposphere and attributed to day-to-day variations in equatorial plasma bubbles, which are detrimental to guidance, navigation, and communication systems. Although these waves have been studied for decades, many questions still remain regarding the dynamics and morphology of gravity waves. Of particular interest is the seasonal and global distribution of concentric gravity waves (CGW), which are formed by deep convection in the troposphere (such as thunderstorms), as they directly exhibit coupling between measurable disturbances in both the lower and upper atmosphere. For this study, we used observation from NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) that observes GWs in the mesosphere (87 km altitude) with the goal of characterizing temporal and seasonal variations of GW. From these observations, 768 CGW events were identified between November 2023 to February 2024 and July 2024. The global distribution and occurrence rate of these waves were then compared those found in the stratosphere below and with those observed in the O2-band at 95 km above as shown in the Perwitasari et al [2016] IMAP study.