Derecho Storm Influences on the Ionosphere and Thermosphere: Gravity Wave Coupling and Tidal Interactions

The generation of overshooting tropospheric cloud tops induced by deep atmospheric convection of a Derecho storm produces acoustic and gravity wave disturbances. These disturbances are observed in the GNSS TEC signal measurements within the ionosphere. Gravity waves generated from these overshooting cloud tops are affected in their formation and dissipation by stratospheric winds and tidal wave activity in the Thermosphere. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) TEC observations are used in conjunction with MERRA-2 and the HWM model; the analysis from these observations is utilized to determine the environment and lifespan of the gravity wave activity. Stratospheric brightness temperature measurements gathered from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) were utilized to track the earliest observable gravity waves in the Stratosphere and Mesosphere region. Evolution of the Derecho storm and associated convective plumes are tracked using GOES-18 satellite imagery and NEXRAD Doppler radar data. This study investigates the sustained impacts of gravity waves generated by deep atmospheric derecho activity on the thermosphere and ionosphere, as well as the conditions that enable their propagation to the thermosphere and the role of stratospheric winds and thermospheric tides.