Gravity Wave Dynamics in a Mesospheric Inversion Layer: 2. Instabilities, Turbulence, Fluxes, and Mixing
Abstract
A companion paper by Fritts, Laughman, et al. (2017) employed an anelastic numerical model to explore the dynamics of gravity waves (GWs) encountering a mesospheric inversion layer (MIL) having a moderate static stability enhancement and a layer of weaker static stability above. That study revealed that MIL responses, including GW transmission, reflection, and instabilities, are sensitive functions of GW parameters. This paper expands on two of the Fritts, Laughman, et al. (2017) simulations to examine GW instability dynamics and turbulence in the MIL; forcing of the mean wind and stability environments by GW, instability, and turbulence fluxes; and associated heat and momentum transports. These direct numerical simulations resolve turbulence inertial‐range scales and yield the following results: GW breaking and turbulence in the MIL occur below where they would otherwise, due to enhancements of GW amplitudes and shears in the MIL.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jan 17, 2018
- Source ID
- 10.1002/2017jd027442
Entities
People
- Brian Laughman
- David C Fritts
- Ling Wang
- Richard L Collins
- Thomas S. Lund
Organizations
- G & A Technical Software
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Sleep Foundation
- Office of Naval Research
- University of Alaska Fairbanks