Simualtion of orographic gravity waves observed by (left) SABER (a current space-based limb sounder employed in studying global distributions of gravity waves) and AtmoSat (right). The 3D distribution from AtmoSat allows to derive the wave vector and thereby to unambiguously identify sources and further propagtion. This was demonstrated with the airborne GLORIA instrument for a first time from real measurements.
(http://gloria.helmholtz.de/Gravity_waves.php)
The stratosphere also influences near-surface regional climate and long-term weather via dynamical coupling with the troposphere. Variations of the strength of the polar jet play a decicive role for this coupling. AtmoSat will provide the necessary data basis to investigate the detailed mechanisms (e. g. the role of atmospheric waves) of these couplings and to represent these mechanisms and their effects quantitatively correctly in models.
Major scientific messages in the literature:
- The winter temperature in Europe differs by 2°C depending on the phase of the tropical Quasibiennial Oscillation (QBO); (result based on observations):
Marshall and Scaife, Journal of Geophysical Research, 2010
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2009JD011737 - Uncertainties in the representation of gravity waves in climate models induce a 2°C uncertainty of the predicted climate change in the North polar region:
Sigmond and Scinocca, Journal of Climate, 2010
https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/2009JCLI3167.1 - Observations of a GLORIA-type instrument will facililitate novel approaches to scientific questions of gravity waves:
Preusse et al., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2014
https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/10483/2014/ - The 3D inferrence of GWs was demonstrated by observations of the airborn GLORIA instrument:
Krisch et al., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2017
https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/17/14937/2017/
Movie clip: https://doi.org/10.5446/31482
See also: http://gloria.helmholtz.de/Gravity_waves.php
