Gravity Wave Dynamics
2D animation of vorticity structures illustrated with enstrophy magnitude. Gravity wave parameters are
lambda_x - 60 km, lambda_z ~20 km, c_x = 55 m/s,
a = u'/c ~ 0.1 at 100 km , and omega = N/3.2,
yielding u' ~55 m/s and Re ~1000 at ~160 km
enstrophy side view (descending GW phase)
Publications describing deep gravity wave dynamics include the following:
Fritts,
D. C., and T. Lund, 2010: Gravity wave influences in
the thermosphere and ionosphere: Observations and recent modeling,
Aeronomy of the Earth’s Atmosphere and Ionosphere, Springer, in press.
******
Paper.pdf
******
Lund, T., and D. C.
Fritts, 2010: Gravity wave breaking and turbulence
generation in the thermosphere, Geophys.
Res. Lett., to be submitted.
***** Paper.pdf
*****
Acknowledgments: Research described on this page was performed with support from NSF grants ATM-0435789 and ATM-0836407, AFOSR contract FA9550-09-C-0197, and NASA contract NNH09CF40C.