Research Summaries

Back Resonance Properties of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica, as a Factor in Regional Wave Interaction Between Ocean and Atmosphere

Fiscal Year 2018
Division Graduate School of Engineering & Applied Science
Department Physics
Investigator(s) Godin, Oleg A.
Sponsor University of Colorado, Boulder (Other)
Summary Recent theoretical and experimental work indicates that in a wide range of altitudes and for periods from a few minutes to several hours, a significant part of the wave activity observed in the thermosphere is due to acousticgravity waves (AGWs) radiated by infragravity waves in the ocean. NPS and UCB researchers will study
atmospheric waves in the thermosphere in Antarctica and investigate the roles that the Ross Ice Shelf and the Southern Ocean play in generation of the atmospheric waves. This project will verify the hypothesis that the persistent atmospheric waves in mesosphere and lower thermosphere, which are observed with a lidar instrument at McMurdo, are related to the low-frequency vibration resonances of the Ross Ice Shelf excited by infragravity waves in the ocean. An accurate characterization will be achieved for low-frequency oscillations of the Ross Ice Shelf and the quality factors of its resonances will be assessed. Investigation of a consistency between observed and predicted vertical distributions of the wave intensity is expected to provide insights into where the horizontal momentum carried by AGWs is transferred to the mean motion, i.e., to the large-scale dynamics of the Antarctic thennosphere.
A determination of whether accurate measurements of the acoustic resonant frequencies and their variations can provide useful constraints on the neutral temperature profile in the atmosphere will be done. Extensive use of Jang Bogo Dynasonde data will allow contribute to further development of Dynasonde techniques for remote sensing of the middle and upper atmosphere.
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Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal