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Using sub-limb observations to measure gravity waves excited by convection.

ABSTRACT: Convective gravity waves are a major driver of atmospheric circulation, including the stratospheric and mesospheric quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and the Brewer-Dobson circulation. Previous work shows clear evidence that these waves can be excited by both single convective cells and by mesoscale convective complexes acting as a single unit. However, the partitioning of the generated waves and, crucially for atmospheric model development, the flux of momentum they transport between these two types of excitation process remains highly uncertain due to a fundamental lack of suitable observations at the global scale. Here, we use both theoretical calculations and sampled output from a high-resolution weather model to demonstrate that a satellite instrument using a sub-limb geometry would be well suited to characterising the short-vertical short-horizontal gravity waves these systems produce, and hence to provide the scientific knowledge needed to identify the relative wave-driving contribution of these two types of convective wave excitation.

SUBMITTER: Wright CJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9908969 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Using sub-limb observations to measure gravity waves excited by convection.

Wright Corwin J CJ Ungermann Jörn J Preusse Peter P Polichtchouk Inna I

NPJ microgravity 20230208 1

Convective gravity waves are a major driver of atmospheric circulation, including the stratospheric and mesospheric quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and the Brewer-Dobson circulation. Previous work shows clear evidence that these waves can be excited by both single convective cells and by mesoscale convective complexes acting as a single unit. However, the partitioning of the generated waves and, crucially for atmospheric model development, the flux of momentum they transport between these two t ...[more]

PMID: 36755028

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Project description:Abstract Gravity waves (GWs) generated by tropical convection are important for the simulation of large?scale atmospheric circulations, for example, the quasi?biennial oscillation (QBO), and small?scale phenomena like clear?air turbulence. However, the simulation of these waves still poses a challenge due to the inaccurate representation of convection, and the high computational costs of global, cloud?resolving models. Methods combining models with observations are needed to gain the necessary knowledge on GW generation, propagation, and dissipation so that we may encode this knowledge into fast parameterized physics for global weather and climate simulation or turbulence forecasting. We present a new method suitable for rapid simulation of realistic convective GWs. Here, we associate the profile of latent heating with two parameters: precipitation rate and cloud top height. Full?physics cloud?resolving WRF simulations are used to develop a lookup table for converting instantaneous radar precipitation rates and echo top measurements into a high?resolution, time?dependent latent heating field. The heating field from these simulations is then used to force an idealized dry version of the WRF model. We validate the method by comparing simulated precipitation rates and cloud tops with scanning radar observations and by comparing the GW field in the idealized simulations to satellite measurements. Our results suggest that including variable cloud top height in the derivation of the latent heating profiles leads to better representation of the GWs compared to using only the precipitation rate. The improvement is especially noticeable with respect to wave amplitudes. This improved representation also affects the forcing of GWs on large?scale circulation. Key Points Use of an idealized numerical model forced with radar?derived latent heat profiles to simulate convective gravity waves in the tropics Relating latent heat to rain rate and echo top height leads to improved representation of tropical GWs compared to satellite observations Approach could improve prediction of tropical gravity waves for weather forecasting and climate applications

Dataset Information

Using sub-limb observations to measure gravity waves excited by convection.

Publications

Using sub-limb observations to measure gravity waves excited by convection.

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