The 6.5-day wave in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere: Evidence for baroclinic/barotropic instability

Abstract

A westward propagating zonal wave number 1 wave with a period near 6.5 days was a prominent feature in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) during the 1994 equinoxes. The meridional structure of the wave in the upper stratosphere and the MLT is consistent with the 5-day wave structure predicted by normal mode theory. However, the amplitude increases sharply above 80 km, where the wave exhibits a highly organized baroclinic circulation. The eddy fluxes and the background state suggest that the wave is amplified by instability of the mesospheric winds.