Recent advances in the study of stratospheric wave activity using COSMIC and CHAMP GPS-RO

Abstract

Gravity (buoyancy) waves are mainly generated in the lower atmosphere and propagate upwards, transporting energy and momentum. They must be characterized and parameterized in models because their cumulative effect on the atmosphere is important. GPS Radio Occultation (RO) satellites are able to measure the temporal and spatial evolution of gravity waves with global coverage. COSMIC enables their study at a much higher temporal and spatial resolution than was previously possible, while CHAMP provides a multi-year dataset. New CHAMP and COSMIC gravity wave results are presented here and discussed in both a global and regional scale context. © 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.