Gravity waves observed by the Jicamarca VHF radar in the equatorial upper stratosphere

Abstract

Internal gravity waves are known to play an important role in dynamics of the middle atmosphere. They can transport momentum flux from lower atmosphere to upper atmosphere and sometimes break mean flows or large-scale long-period motions due to dissipation process associatcd with wave flow interaction. However, an entire profile of short period gravity waves has not yet been obtained, since it has been very difficult to detect extremely weak atmospheric echoes from so-called "gap region" of 30-60 km heights. Recently, the Jicamarca VHF radar system in Peru ( Woodman and A.Guillen, 1974), which is one of the largest high-power VHF /UHF radars in the world, has been greatly improved in height resolution, and reliable atmospheric echoes have been, for the first time, detected in the gap regían by the Jicamarca radar with the high-altitude resolution (500 m). This paper presents new observational results on the upper stratospheric short-period vertical wind oscillations, which have never been resolved by the VHF /UHP. radars other than the present revised Jicamarca radar.