CEDAR
Coupling, Energetics and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions Program
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Quantifying Atmospheric Gravity Wave Momentum Flux Using Data from the Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE)

Anh
Phan
Physics Department and Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract text

The Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) aboard the International Space Station (ISS) provides near-global observations of atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) in the mesopause region using an Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (AMTM) imager. This instrument measures the intensity of several OH airglow emission lines near 1.5 μm to derive rotational temperatures. With a wide field of view (~90°, corresponding to ~600 km at mesopause altitude) and a high resolution (2 km/pixel), AWE enables continuous monitoring of gravity wave activity across large regions of the atmosphere.

Atmospheric gravity waves play an important role in coupling different layers of the atmosphere. As they propagate upward, they transport momentum that can be deposited into the background flow and influence atmospheric circulation. Momentum flux is therefore a key quantity for assessing the effects of gravity waves on the upper atmosphere.

In this work, we estimate gravity wave momentum flux from temperature perturbations observed by AWE. Wave parameters such as wavelength, propagation direction, and amplitude are identified using a wavelet-based analysis framework. These quantities are combined with background atmospheric parameters, provided by the Naval Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM) reanalysis model, to derive momentum flux associated with individual wave structures.

These results help characterize the distribution and variability of gravity wave momentum flux observed by AWE.

Authors
Anh Phan, Physics Department and Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT
Pierre-Dominique Pautet, Physics Department and Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT
Ludger Scherliess, Physics Department and Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT
Yucheng Zhao, Physics Department and Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT
Yuta Hozumi, Physics Department and Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT
Jiarong Zhang, Physics Department and Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT
Stephen D. Eckermann, Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
Jun Ma, Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
Student in poster competition
Poster category
MLTG - Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere Gravity Waves
Poster number
4
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