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Gravity Wave Breaking and Vortex Ring Formation Observed by PMC Turbo

Geach, Christopher and Hanany, Shaul and Fritts, D. C. and Kaifler, Bernd and Kaifler, Natalie and Kjellstrand, Bjorn and Williams, Bifford P. and Eckermann, Stephen D. and Miller, Amber and Jones, Glenn and Reimuller, Jason (2020) Gravity Wave Breaking and Vortex Ring Formation Observed by PMC Turbo. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. Wiley. doi: 10.1029/2020JD033038. ISSN 0148-0227.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2020JD033038

Abstract

Polar mesospheric cloud (PMC) imaging and lidar profiling performed aboard the 5.9 day PMC Turbo balloon flight from Sweden to northern Canada in July 2018 revealed a wide variety of gravity wave (GW) and instability events occurring nearly continuously at approximately 82 km. We describe one event exhibiting GW breaking and associated vortex rings driven by apparent convective instability. Using PMC Turbo imaging with spatial and temporal resolution of 20 m and 2 s, respectively, we quantify the GW horizontal wavelength, propagation direction, and apparent phase speed. We identify vortex rings with diameters of 2‐5 km and horizontal spacing comparable to their size. Lidar data show GW vertical displacements of ±0.3 km. From the data, we find a GW intrinsic frequency and vertical wavelength of 0.009 ± 0.003 rad s‐1 and 9 ± 4 km, respectively. We show that these values are consistent with the predictions of numerical simulations of idealized GW breaking. We estimate the momentum deposition rate per unit mass during this event to be 0.04 ± 0.02 m s‐2 and show that this value is consistent with the observed GW. Comparison to simulation gives a mean energy dissipation rate for this event of 0.05‐0.4 W kg‐1, which is consistent with other reported in‐situ measurements at the Arctic summer mesopause.

Item URL in elib:https://elib.dlr.de/138146/
Document Type:Article
Title:Gravity Wave Breaking and Vortex Ring Formation Observed by PMC Turbo
Authors:
AuthorsInstitution or Email of AuthorsAuthor's ORCID iDORCID Put Code
Geach, ChristopherUniv. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USAUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Hanany, ShaulUniv. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USAUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Fritts, D. C.GATS Inc./BoulderUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Kaifler, BerndDLR, IPAhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5891-242XUNSPECIFIED
Kaifler, NatalieDLR, IPAhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3118-6480UNSPECIFIED
Kjellstrand, BjornColumbia Univ., New York, NY, USAUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Williams, Bifford P.GATS Inc./BoulderUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Eckermann, Stephen D.NRL, Washington, D.C., USAUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Miller, AmberColumbia Univ., New York, NY, USAUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Jones, GlennColumbia Univ., New York, NY, USAUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Reimuller, JasonIntegr. Space. Serv., Boulder, CO, USAUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Date:9 November 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
DOI:10.1029/2020JD033038
Publisher:Wiley
ISSN:0148-0227
Status:Published
Keywords:polar mesospheric clouds, noctilucent clouds, balloon lidar, PMC Turbo, BOLIDE
HGF - Research field:Aeronautics, Space and Transport
HGF - Program:Space
HGF - Program Themes:Earth Observation
DLR - Research area:Raumfahrt
DLR - Program:R EO - Earth Observation
DLR - Research theme (Project):R - Middle Atmosphere
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen
Institutes and Institutions:Institute of Atmospheric Physics > Lidar
Deposited By: Kaifler, Dr. Natalie
Deposited On:25 Nov 2020 07:56
Last Modified:24 Mar 2021 08:24

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