Fritts, David C. and Kaifler, Natalie and Kaifler, Bernd and Geach, Christopher and Kjellstrand, Bjorn and Williams, Bifford P. and Eckermann, Stephen D. and Miller, Amber and Rapp, Markus and Jones, Glenn and Limon, Michele and Reimuller, Jason and Wang, Ling (2020) Mesospheric Bore Evolution and Instability Dynamics Observed in PMC Turbo Imaging and Rayleigh Lidar Profiling over Northeastern Canada on 13 July 2018. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 124 (14), e2019JD032037/1-26. Wiley. DOI: 10.1029/2019JD032037 ISSN 0148-0227
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Official URL: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019JD032037
Abstract
Two successive mesospheric bores were observed over northeastern Canada on 13 July 2018 in high-resolution imaging and Rayleigh lidar profiling of polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) performed aboard the PMC Turbo long-duration balloon experiment. Four wide field-of-view cameras spanning an area of ~75x150 km at PMC altitudes captured the two evolutions occurring over ~2 hr and resolved bore and associated instability features as small as ~100 m. The Rayleigh lidar provided PMC backscatter profiling that revealed vertical displacements, evolving brightness distributions, evidence of instability character and depths, and insights into bore formation, ducting, and dissipation. Both bores exhibited variable structure along their phases, suggesting variable gravity wave (GW) source and bore propagation conditions. Both bores also exhibited small-scale instability dynamics at their leading and trailing edges. Those at the leading edges comprised apparent Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities that were advected downward and rearward beneath the bore descending phases extending into an apparently intensified shear layer. Instabilities at the trailing edges exhibited alignments approximately orthogonal to the bore phases that resembled those seen to accompany GW breaking or intrusions arising in high-resolution modeling of GW instability dynamics. Collectively, PMC Turbo bore imaging and lidar profiling enabled enhanced definition of bore dynamics relative to what has been possible by previous ground-based observations, and a potential to guide new, three-dimensional modeling of bore dynamics. The observed bore evolutions suggest potentially important roles for bores in the deposition of energy and momentum transported into the mesosphere and to higher altitudes by high-frequency GWs achieving large amplitudes.
Item URL in elib: | https://elib.dlr.de/134947/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Document Type: | Article | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Title: | Mesospheric Bore Evolution and Instability Dynamics Observed in PMC Turbo Imaging and Rayleigh Lidar Profiling over Northeastern Canada on 13 July 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Authors: |
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Date: | 26 April 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Refereed publication: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Open Access: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gold Open Access: | No | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In SCOPUS: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In ISI Web of Science: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Volume: | 124 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DOI : | 10.1029/2019JD032037 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Page Range: | e2019JD032037/1-26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Publisher: | Wiley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ISSN: | 0148-0227 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Status: | Published | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Keywords: | mesospheric bores, gravity wave breaking, gravity wave self acceleration, bore propagation, bore instabilities, mesospheric turbulence | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
HGF - Research field: | Aeronautics, Space and Transport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
HGF - Program: | Space | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
HGF - Program Themes: | Earth Observation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DLR - Research area: | Raumfahrt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DLR - Program: | R EO - Erdbeobachtung | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DLR - Research theme (Project): | Vorhaben Mittlere Atmosphäre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Location: | Oberpfaffenhofen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Institutes and Institutions: | Institute of Atmospheric Physics Institute of Atmospheric Physics > Lidar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deposited By: | Kaifler, Dr. Natalie | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deposited On: | 15 May 2020 17:59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Modified: | 22 Jul 2020 10:36 |
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