Characteristics and sources of gravity waves observed in noctilucent cloud over Norway
Demissie, Teferi Dejene; Espy, Patrick Joseph; Stray, Nora Henriette; Hatlen, Morten; Kaifler, Natalie; Baumgarten, G
Journal article, Peer reviewed
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2014Metadata
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Original version
Atmospheric Chemistry And Physics 2014, 14(22):12133-12142 10.5194/acp-14-12133-2014Abstract
Four years of noctilucent cloud (NLC) images
from an automated digital camera in Trondheim and results
from a ray-tracing model are used to extend the climatology
of gravity waves to higher latitudes and to identify their
sources during summertime. The climatology of the summertime
gravity waves detected in NLC between 64 and
74 N is similar to that observed between 60 and 64 N by
Pautet et al. (2011). The direction of propagation of gravity
waves observed in the NLC north of 64 N is a continuation
of the north and northeast propagation as observed in
south of 64 N. However, a unique population of fast, short
wavelength waves propagating towards the SW is observed
in the NLC, which is consistent with transverse instabilities
generated in situ by breaking gravity waves (Fritts and
Alexander, 2003). The relative amplitude of the waves observed
in the NLC Mie scatter have been combined with raytracing
results to show that waves propagating from near the
tropopause, rather than those resulting from secondary generation
in the stratosphere or mesosphere, are more likely to
be the sources of the prominent wave structures observed in
the NLC. The coastal region of Norway along the latitude of
70 N is identified as the primary source region of the waves
generated near the tropopause.