Physics
Scientific paper
Nov 1990
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1990jatp...52..835b&link_type=abstract
Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics (ISSN 0021-9169), vol. 52, Oct.-Nov. 1990, p. 835-854. Research supported by SDIO
Physics
20
Atmospheric Turbulence, Gravity Waves, Ion Density (Concentration), Middle Atmosphere, Atmospheric Circulation, Spatial Distribution, Vertical Distribution, Wave Propagation
Scientific paper
The level of turbulence activity in the middle atmosphere observed during the MAC/EPSILON campaign is determined using different in situ techniques. The observations show a minimum of turbulence in the height region 75-80 km, with increasing activity below and above. Based upon spectra of density fluctuations covering height intervals of typically 8 km, a unified spectral description is developed. It is shown that the buoyancy scale L(B) and inner scale l(0) of turbulence, as calculated from the power of fluctuations in the inertial subrange, agree with the visually observed breakpoints in the spectra. Spectra of ion density fluctuations are also seen to be consistent with spectral amplitudes predicted by linear saturation theory. The relationship between the level of turbulence in the middle atmosphere and the gravity wave environment in which the turbulence occurs is investigated in detail. The results suggest that strong turbulence occurs preferentially in or near those phases of the wave motions predicted to be most unstable on the basis of linear gravity wave theory.
Blix Tom Arild
Fritts David C.
Luebken F. J.
Thrane Eivind V.
von Zahn Ulf
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