Characterization of Stratospheric Gravity Waves Observed During the Perlan Mission II Campaign
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Authors
Nevada-Noll, Stormi
Issue Date
2025
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
atmospheric dynamics , Atmospheric gravity waves , Inertial gravity waves , sudden stratospheric warming
Alternative Title
Abstract
The Perlan 2 glider soars in stratospheric gravity waves, setting subsonic records while collecting atmospheric data to advance aeronautical and meteorological knowledge. During the 2018 and 2019 Perlan Mission II campaign, radiosonde data were collected from El Calafate, Argentina (-50.28°, -72.05°) in the lee of the Southern Andes near the Southern Hemisphere PNJ. This is a known hot spot for gravity wave activity; however, direct atmospheric observations are sparse, resulting in poor atmospheric and climate model performance. Gravity waves can deposit energy and momentum far from their sources and are not fully resolved in numerical models, therefore, they must by properly parameterized based on physical observations to depict atmospheric conditions more accurately. During the 2019 deployment, a rare Southern Hemisphere sudden stratospheric warming occurred. Radiosonde and glider data collected during the Perlan Mission II is investigated to determine the characteristics of gravity waves observed in the lower stratosphere, which are initiated in the region from tropospheric or stratospheric sources. Gravity waves are characterized by their vertical and horizontal propagation properties, energy density, and momentum flux. The results suggest that, in addition to the typical mountain waves propagating upward into the stratosphere, downward propagating waves with a stratospheric source are observed during the sudden stratospheric warming event.