Low-frequency oscillations of the gravity wave energy density in the lower atmosphere at low latitudes revealed by U.S. radiosonde data

2016 ◽  
Vol 121 (22) ◽  
pp. 13,458-13,473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai Yan Li ◽  
Chun Ming Huang ◽  
Shao Dong Zhang ◽  
Kai Ming Huang ◽  
Yehui Zhang ◽  
...  
2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 2139-2145 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Sica ◽  
P. S. Argall

Abstract. The Purple Crow Lidar (PCL) is a large power-aperture product monostatic Rayleigh-Raman-Sodium-resonance-fluorescence lidar, which has been in operation at the Delaware Observatory (42.9° N, 81.4° W, 237 m elevation) near the campus of The University of Western Ontario since 1992. Kinetic-energy density has been calculated from the Rayleigh-scatter system measurements of density fluctuations at temporal-spatial scales relevant for gravity waves, e.g. soundings at 288 m height resolution and 9 min temporal resolution in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere. The seasonal averages from 10 years of measurements show in all seasons some loss of gravity-wave energy in the upper stratosphere. During the equinox periods and summer the measurements are consistent with gravity waves growing in height with little saturation, in agreement with the classic picture of the variations in the height at which gravity waves break given by Lindzen (1981). The mean values compare favourably to previous measurements when computed as nightly averages, but the high temporal-spatial resolution measurements show considerable day-to-day variability. The variability over a night is often extremely large, with typical RMS fluctuations of 50 to 100% at all heights and seasons common. These measurements imply that using a daily or nightly-averaged gravity-wave energy density in numerical models may be highly unrealistic.


2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 1065-1074 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. D. Zhang ◽  
F. Yi ◽  
C. M. Huang ◽  
Q. Zhou

Abstract. The latitudinal and seasonal variations of gravity wave (GW) potential energy density (EP), kinetic energy density (EK), and total energy density (ET), i.e, the sum of potential and kinetic energy densities in the tropospheric (typically 2–10 km) and lower stratospheric (typically 18–25 km) segments have been derived from 10 years (1998–2007) of radiosonde observations over 92 United States stations in the Northern Hemisphere. The latitudinal variation of EP in the lower stratosphere is in good agreement with satellite observations. However, EK and ET in the lower stratosphere are different from satellite observations and the difference is believed to be linked with the latitudinal dependence of GW sources. Our analysis reveals that GW energy properties exhibit distinctive latitudinal and seasonal variations. The upward-propagating GW energy in the troposphere is larger than that in the lower stratosphere at low latitudes but the opposite holds true at high latitudes. The transition latitude, where the upward- propagating energies in the two altitude regions are the same, occurs at 35° N throughout the year. So striking differences between GW activity in the troposphere and lower stratosphere are not likely explained only by the background wind Doppler shifting due to strong tropospheric jets. Our analysis indicates that the region around tropopause, roughly from 10 km to 18 km, is an important source region, especially at latitudes below 35° N. Our studies strongly suggest that in order to fully understand the global GW activity in the lower atmosphere, the GW kinetic energy and its geographical and seasonal variations should be included, and more attention should be given to GWs in the troposphere and GW sources within the intermediate region, especially the upper troposphere.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 1129-1143 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. D. Zhang ◽  
C. M. Huang ◽  
K. M. Huang ◽  
F. Yi ◽  
Y. H. Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract. We extended the broad spectral method proposed by Zhang et al. (2013) for the extraction of medium- and high-frequency gravity waves (MHGWs). This method was applied to 11 years (1998–2008) of radiosonde data from 92 stations in the Northern Hemisphere to investigate latitudinal, continuous vertical and seasonal variability of MHGW parameters in the lower atmosphere (2–25 km). The latitudinal and vertical distributions of the wave energy density and horizontal momentum fluxes as well as their seasonal variations exhibit considerable consistency with those of inertial gravity waves. Despite the consistency, the MHGWs have much larger energy density, horizontal momentum fluxes and wave force, indicating the more important role of MHGWs in energy and momentum transportation and acceleration of the background. For the observed MHGWs, the vertical wavelengths are usually larger than 8 km; the horizontal wavelengths peak in the middle troposphere at middle–high latitudes. These characteristics are obviously different from inertial gravity waves. The energy density and horizontal momentum fluxes have similar latitude-dependent seasonality: both of them are dominated by a semiannual variation at low latitudes and an annual variation at middle latitudes; however at high latitudes, they often exhibit more than two peaks per year in the troposphere. Compared with the inertial GWs, the derived intrinsic frequencies are more sensitive to the spatiotemporal variation of the buoyancy frequency, and at all latitudinal regions they are higher in summer. The wavelengths have a weaker seasonal variation; an evident annual cycle can be observed only at middle latitudes.


Author(s):  
Quan-Ming Miao ◽  
Allen T. Chwang

The reflection and transmission of ship waves by vertical floating barriers located on both sides of a fairway are investigated by the modified Dawson’s method in this paper. The free surface is specially treated to take into account the floating barriers. The wave pattern and the wave energy density between and outside the barriers are obtained. It is found that the reflection and transmission performance of a barrier is associated with its width and height. For a wider or higher barrier, more ship waves are reflected by it. A vertical floating barrier with a reasonable width and height can reduce ship waves in the outer region very efficiently.


2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasily I. Erofeev

The concept of informativeness of nonlinear plasma physics scenarios is explained. Natural ideas of developing highly informative models of plasma kinetics are spelled out. They are applied to develop a formula that governs the drift of long Langmuir waves in spatial positions and wave vectors in a magnetized plasma due to the plasma inhomogeneity. Together with previous findings (Erofeev, Phys. Plasmas, vol. 22, 2015, 092302), the formula evidences the need for an intelligent generalization of the notion of wave energy density from usual homogeneous plasmas to inhomogeneous ones.


1975 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 1271-1278
Author(s):  
W. R. Rutgers

Abstract From the combined Stark-Zeeman pattern of helium allowed and forbidden optical lines the frequency spectrum, the field strength and the dominant polarization of microfields were determined in a turbulent plasma. Two frequency domains of oscillations were found in a turbulent heating experiment: low-frequency oscillations with dominant polarization perpendicular to the current direction and high-frequency oscillations (f~fpe) with random polarization. The r.m.s. field strength of the oscillations is between 2 kV/cm and 10 kV/cm. The energy density of turbulent microfields amounts to 1‰ of the thermal energy density.


Geophysics ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. MA33-MA40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Steiner ◽  
Erik H. Saenger ◽  
Stefan M. Schmalholz

Time-reverse imaging is a wave propagation algorithm for locating sources. Signals recorded by synchronized receivers are reversed in time and propagated back to the source location by elastic wavefield extrapolation. Elastic wavefield extrapolation requires a P-wave as well as an S-wave velocity model. The velocity models available from standard reflection seismic methods are usually restricted to only P-waves. In this study, we use synthetically produced time signals to investigate the accuracy of seismic source localization by means of time-reverse imaging with the correct P-wave and a perturbed S-wave velocity model. The studies reveal that perturbed S-wave velocity models strongly influence the intensity and position of the focus. Imaging the results with the individual maximum energy density for both body wave types instead of mixed modes allows individual analysis of the two body waves. P-wave energy density images render stable focuses in case of a correct P-wave and incorrect S-wave velocity model. Thus, P-wave energy density seems to be a more suitable imaging condition in case of a high degree of uncertainty in the S-wave velocity model.


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