DEEPWAVE_NZ: deep vertically propagating waves over New Zealand

In the Southern Hemisphere winter of 2014, the DEEPWAVE project has been proposed to observe vertically propagating waves from their launching in the troposphere (by terrain and other disturbances) to their breakdown in the mesosphere. The primary observation platform for these measurements is the NSF/NCAR Gulfstream-V aircraft (NGV) with flight level and remote sensing instruments. Waves will be observed simultaneously from the NGV, orbiting satellites, surface based wind profilers and instrumented balloons. Using flight level data from the NGV, including GPS altitude and accurate static pressure, the momentum and energy fluxes, wave energy density and the spectrum of up-going, down-going and trapped waves can be observed in the lower stratosphere. Further aloft, airborne Rayleigh and sodium lidars and a Microwave Temperature Mapper on the NGV will detect and quantify waves in the mesosphere. In following waves through their propagation lifetime, we will consider a number of processes including: the effect of precipitating clouds on wave launching, wave trapping or reflection near the tropopause, the “bullwhip effect” from decreasing air density, secondary wave generation in the upper stratosphere, lateral wave refraction from wind shear, transient critical levels from tidal winds. The aircraft will be based in New Zealand. Designed flight tracks will examine waves launched by the Southern Alps as well as waves over the Tasman Sea and Southern Ocean. The project will contribute to our understanding how wave momentum fluxes modify the climate and circulation of the middle atmosphere.