Characteristics of the large-scale traveling atmospheric disturbances during geomagnetically quiet and disturbed periods simulated by a whole atmosphere general circulation model

Abstract

We have investigated characteristics of the large-scale traveling atmospheric disturbances (LS-TADs) generated during geomagnetically quiet and disturbed periods using a whole atmosphere general circulation model (GCM). The GCM simulations show that various TADs appear in association with passages of regions with large temperature gradients near the solar terminator, midnight temperature anomaly, and auroral oval which move with the Earth's rotation. These TADs, which are superimposed on each other, appear even when a geomagnetically quiet period. The TADs generated during a geomagnetically quiet period show structures extending in the longitudinal direction at high-latitude and in the latitudinal direction at mid- and low-latitude. These structures disappear after their short-range propagations. The TADs generated during a geomagnetically disturbed period show structures extending widely in the longitudinal direction and propagate from high- to low-latitude. These simulation results suggest the different generation mechanisms and features between the TADs generated during geomagnetically quiet and disturbed periods. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.