Atmospheric gravity waves - Bridging the gaps

With better models and satellite records, the interactions between tropospheric climate and the upper atmosphere are being recognised.

Climate models are extended to higher altitudes and the need for better understanding of the physical mechanisms controlling the coupling between the different layers and the neutral/charged atmosphere arises. Today we know that substantial momentum is transported between these layers by atmospheric Gravity Waves (GW).

GW are buoyancy waves that in this way control both circulation patterns and temperature.

Their major effects have triggered intense research lately, but due to lack of observations processes are poorly understood and the global picture is largely missing.

Today, linear wave theory is applied to describe wave propagation and momentum deposition, but without detailed information about wave parameters it is not known to what extent this theory is valid and to what degree non-linear interactions are governing the process.

The Swedish MATS satellite1 is built to supply this information - it will for the first time give us a global picture of GW in 3 dimensions.

Adding to this, EISCAT_3D2, a new radar facility in the Fenno-Scandinavian Arctic, scheduled to start observations in 2023, will provide unique information about the smallest waves in a limited area.

Using the data sets from both these extensive new research tools, I propose a set of studies to answer fundamental questions about the wave energy cascade spectrum and gravity momentum deposition, which have not been possible to address earlier.Linda Megner (LM) has worked with the MATS satellite for 8-years, both as a project manager for the scientific instruments and with the development of calibration and data retrieval techniques.

This application is now intended to harvest the fruits of the comprehensive MATS development work in the form of scientific results.

However, this application intends not only to lead to the development of LM´s personal research and career, but also to support the atmospheric physics group at MISU, which forms the basis for the scientific research related to the MATS satellite, with an additional permanently employed researcher in addition to the only one currently present.

Without the addition of this position, the capacity of the group risks to be merely enough for the basic data retrieval, leaving the high-end research and the scientific discoveries to researchers outside Sweden, or in the worst case to no one at all.

MISUs recognition of the importance of this is clear from the department’s commitment that ensures my permanent position (see Letter of Support) should this application be successful.