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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

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  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Middle atmosphere: energy deposition
  • Atmospheric Processes: Middle atmosphere dynamics
  • Atmospheric Processes: Global climate models
  • Atmospheric Processes: Tropical meteorology

Abstract

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 33, L07810, 4 PP., 2006
doi:10.1029/2005GL024873

Global estimates of equatorial inertia-gravity wave activity in the stratosphere inferred from ERA40 reanalysis

J. Le Sommer

Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, Paris, France

H. Teitelbaum

Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, Paris, France

V. Zeitlin

Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, Paris, France

A new methodology is applied to ERA40 reanalysis in order to quantify large-scale inertia-gravity wave activity in the equatorial lower stratosphere. Both eastward and westward propagating waves are identified in the data set and a good agreement is found with previously published in situ observations. Global estimates of vertical fluxes of zonal momentum associated with such waves are obtained. Typical amplitudes of order 10−2 m2. s−2 suggest that the forcing of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation by large-scale inertia-gravity waves is tantamount to that by Kelvin waves. This method can be used to document the space-time variability of the wave-activity in order to improve the wave-drag parameterizations in climate models.

Received 6 October 2005; accepted 27 February 2006; published 8 April 2006.

Citation: Le Sommer, J., H. Teitelbaum, and V. Zeitlin (2006), Global estimates of equatorial inertia-gravity wave activity in the stratosphere inferred from ERA40 reanalysis, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L07810, doi:10.1029/2005GL024873.

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