Mesoscale gravity wave activity in the Mesosphere over Northern-Norway

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine wind data retrieved from the SKiYMET-radarsat Trondheim and Andenes during the time period of the 27th of November to the 02ndof December 2012. These dates surrounds the night between the 29th-30th of November,were Hennum (2013) discovered large scale fluctuations in the hydroxyl layer dueto gravity wave activity over Trondheim. Similar fluctuations where found over Andenes(although not mentioned in Hennum's thesis), providing for the possibility of a mesoscale connected gravity wave system with wavefronts stretching over 700 km in the middle atmosphere.The analyses of the wind data results in a significant correlation for the mean zonal and meridional anomalies over Andenes and Trondheim. Further, balloon soundings duringthe period show that the Scandinavian mountain range does not seem to be the source,but rather a large scale moving frontal wave system, or shear waves.