Identification

Title

On the dynamical control of the mesosphere-lower thermosphere by the lower and middle atmosphere

Abstract

The NCAR Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) is used to investigate the dynamical influence of the lower and middle atmosphere on the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere. In simulations using a methodology adapted from the "specified dynamics'' (nudged) version of the model, horizontal winds and temperature over part of the vertical range of the atmosphere are relaxed toward results from a previous simulation that serves as the true simulation, equivalent to meteorological analysis. In the upper mesosphere, the magnitude of the divergence of the constrained simulations from the true simulation depends on the vertical extent and frequency of the data used for nudging the model and grows with altitude. The simulations quantify the error growth of the model dynamical fields when data and forcing terms are known exactly and there are no model biases. The error growth rate and the ultimate discrepancy between the nudged and true fields depend strongly on the method used for representing gravity wave drag. The largest error growth occurs when the gravity wave parameterization uses interactive wave sources that depend on convective activity or fronts. Errors are reduced when the same parameterization is used with smoothly varying specified wave sources. The smallest errors are seen when the parameterized gravity wave drag is replaced by linear Rayleigh friction damping on the wind speed. These comparisons demonstrate the role of gravity waves in transporting the variability of the troposphere into the mesosphere and lower thermosphere.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d71v5gth

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2017-03-01T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact