Characteristics of stratospheric mountain waves during T-REX deduced from radiosondes and a mesoscale model

High-altitude radiosondes that penetrated into the stratosphere to altitudes up to 30 km and a mesoscale model, COAMPS, are used to explore stratospheric gravity wave characteristics during T-REX. The high resolution COAMPS model is compared to radiosonde measurements directly. The model data is interpolated in time and space on to the radiosonde trajectories that ascend into the stratosphere through vertically propagating wave fields. A Lagrangian cross-section through the model space following the radio sonde provides insight into model skill and predictability issues. The point-by-point validation is also contrasted with the traditional straightforward approach, where the radiosonde data is fixed spatially (latitude, longitude) and in time. Some additional comparisons will be presented based on the slantwise ascent. Characteristics of the stratospheric waves will be discussed as deduced from the radiosondes and model simulations.