Gravity Wave Predictability and Sources during DEEPWAVE

James Doyle*(1) and Qingfang Jiang(1), Alex Reinecke(1), Carolyn A. Reynolds(1), Stephen D Eckermann(2), David C Fritts(3), Ronald B Smith(4), Michael J Taylor(5), Andreas Dörnbrack(6), Michael Uddstrom(7)

(1)NRL, Monterey, CA, (2)Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, (3)GATS Inc., Boulder, CO, (4)Yale University, New Haven, CT, (5)Utah State Univ, Logan, UT, (6)German Aerospace Center DLR, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, (7) NIWA National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand

The DEEP propagating gravity WAVE program (DEEPWAVE) is a comprehensive, airborne and ground-based measurement and modeling program centered on New Zealand and focused on providing a new understanding of gravity wave dynamics and impacts from the troposphere through the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. This program employed the NSF/NCAR GV (NGV) research aircraft in a 6-week field campaign in June-July 2014. During the field phase, the NGV was equipped with new lidar and airglow instruments, as well as dropwindsondes and flight level instruments including the microwave temperature profiler, providing temperatures and winds spanning altitudes from immediately above the NGV flight altitude (~13 km) to ~100 km. During DEEPWAVE, 16 Intensive Observation Periods (IOPs) occurred, which featured 26 NGV and 13 Falcon research flight missions, as well as a comprehensive suite of ground based observations. These observations include cases of gravity waves generated by flow over terrain, as well as non-orographic sources. We utilize high-resolution COAMPS model simulations to explore the dynamics and predictability of gravity waves. Examples of coupling between the lower and upper levels will be shown using the in situ and remote sensing observations, as well as high-resolution COAMPS simulations with deep domains.

The COAMPS adjoint modeling system is used to explore forecast sensitivity, predictability, and sources. Five missions were conducted using the NGV to observe regions of high forecast sensitivity. We provide a summary of the sensitivity characteristics and explore the implications for predictability of gravity wave launching, as well as waves in the stratosphere. The results of the adjoint model suggest that wave launching and the characteristics of the gravity waves can be linked to these sensitive regions near frontal zones within baroclinic systems. The predictability links between the tropospheric fronts, cyclones, jet regions, and gravity waves that vertically propagate upward through the stratosphere will be addressed further. Additionally, gravity wave source regions are identified using the adjoint modeling system to better understand the regions where waves most likely originated.



*Email: james.doyle@nrlmry.navy.mil
*Preference: Invited