Studies of Vertical Coupling in the Antarctic Atmosphere using Gravity Wave Potential Energy Density

Abstract:

The vertical coupling of the atmosphere is a crucial part of any global circulation model as it largely determines how energy is distributed and travels within the Earth’s atmosphere. The poles have always been a region which is more difficult to study, the lack of instrument coverage as well as the harshness of the environment lead to a deficiency of data from this part of the globe. This work aims to contribute to the understanding of Antarctic vertical coupling by analyzing 10-years of gravity wave activity derived from lidar measurements of stratospheric and mesospheric Rayleigh scattering and measurements of the mesospheric Fe layer captured by our group’s McMurdo lidar facility.

Our lidars are able to reliably detect gravity waves from 30km to 65km as well as from 85km to 110km. These waves are analyzed to calculate their potential energy density (Epm), and how it evolved over altitude. To ensure the quality and accuracy of the Epm calculations, a comprehensive study was performed comparing many different and novel methods for gravity wave Epm extraction. With 10-years of lidar measurements from this location, we will reliably produce a climatology of Epm behavior in the atmosphere above McMurdo, from stratosphere to lower thermosphere.