Mountain Waves in the Stratosphere
Abstract
This article describes recent progress in our efforts to model, forecast, and observe mountain waves in the stratosphere. We have developed a numerical model that globally forecasts stratospheric mountain wave effects. Recent improvements to that model are outlined briefly. We illustrate the potential usefulness of these model forecasts by successfully "hindcasting" some cases where unexpected severe turbulence was encountered by aircraft at stratospheric cruise altitudes. We also show the model's usefulness in forecasting mountain-wave-induced polar stratospheric clouds. which play a crucial role in stratospheric ozone depletion. Finally, we describe some recent satellite observations that have provided us with global data on stratospheric mountain wave distributions, allowing us to benchmark our global mountain wave predictions against data for the first time.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA529977
Entities
People
- D. Broutman
- J. T. Bacmeister
- K. A. Tan
- P. Preusse
- Stephen D. Eckermann
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory