Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Statistical analysis of inertial gravity wave parameters in the lower stratosphere over Northern China

  • Published:
Climate Dynamics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To determine the morphology of inertial gravity wave (IGW) activity in the lower stratosphere (18–25 km) over Northern China and provide observational data constraints for IGW parameterization in atmospheric circulation models, the seasonal variation and longitudinal distribution of IGW parameters were analyzed statistically using 4 years (2010–2013) of radiosonde data from 20 sites distributed throughout Northern China (80.2°E–122.3°E). The results are as follows. (1) The seasonal variation in the monthly mean IGW energy (strong in winter and weak in summer) is consistent with the results for other regions in the Northern Hemisphere. However, the energy shows a significant longitudinal increase from west to east in winter and the opposite pattern in summer, which has rarely been reported. (2) The monthly mean intrinsic frequency exhibits clear seasonal variation (large in winter and small in summer). The annual average ratio with the Coriolis frequency is 2.47, while the degree of polarization exhibits the opposite seasonal variation, with an annual average of 0.71. The monthly mean vertical and horizontal wavelengths are 2.5 and 481.3 km in Northern China, respectively. (3) The annual mean magnitude of the intrinsic horizontal group speed (7.0 m/s) is much larger than that of the vertical group speed (0.08 m/s), and both have maxima in winter and minima in summer. The frequency of occurrence of the westward-propagated IGW is larger than that of the eastward-propagated IGW year round, and it is isotropic in the north–south direction. This phenomenon is related to the filtering effect of the tropospheric westerly jet. The annual mean fraction of upward propagation is 75.9%, with a minimum in winter. (4) The momentum flux exhibits a similar temporal and spatial distribution to energy, showing preferred propagation in the northwest direction. (5) The correlation of the monthly mean total energy of the IGW with the westerly jet and the dynamic instability were studied. The results suggest that the westerly jet near the tropopause has a strong influence on the IGWs activity in the lower stratosphere in Northern China and the height region of the westerly jet is a possible source region for IGWs, the maxima regions of the occurrence rates of dynamic instability at the upper and lower edges of the westerly jet in winter are also the possible source region for IGWs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexander MJ, Tsuda T, Vincent RA (2002) Latitudinal variations observed in gravity waves with short vertical wavelengths. J Atmos Sci 59:1394–1404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alexander MJ, Geller M, McLandress C et al (2010) Recent developments in gravity-wave effects in climate models and the global distribution of gravity-wave momentum flux from observations and models. Q J R Meteorol Soc 136:1103–1124. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.637

    Google Scholar 

  • Bai ZX, Bian JC, Chen HB, Chen L (2016) Inertial gravity wave parameters for the lower stratosphere from radiosonde data over China. Sci China Earth Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-016-5067-y

    Google Scholar 

  • Bian JC, Chen HB, Lv DR (2004) Statistics of gravity waves in the lower stratosphere in Beijing based on high vertical resolution radiosonde. Sci China Earth Sci 34(8):748–756

    Google Scholar 

  • Dee DP, Uppala SM, Simmons AJ et al (2011) The ERA-Interim reanalysis: configuration and performance of the data assimilation system. Q J R Meteorol Soc 137(656):553–597

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eckermann SD (1996) Hodographic analysis of gravity waves: Relationships among Stokes parameters, rotary spectra and cross-spectral methods. J Geophys Res 101(D14):19169–19174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eckermann SD, Vincent RA (1989) Falling sphere observations of anisotropic gravity wave motions in the upper stratosphere over Australia. Pure Appl Geophys 130(2/3):509–532

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fritts DC, Alexander MJ (2003) Gravity wave dynamics and effects in the middle atmosphere. Rev Geophys 41(1):1003. https://doi.org/10.1029/2001RG000106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gong J, Geller MA (2010) Vertical fluctuation energy in United States high vertical resolution radiosonde data as an indicator of convective gravity wave sources. J Geophys Res 115:D11110. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JD012265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gong J, Geller MA, Wang L (2008) Source spectra information derived from US high-resolution radiosonde data. J Geophys Res 113:D10106. https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JD009252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guest FM, Reeder MJ, Marks CJ et al (2000) Inertia-gravity waves observed in the lower stratosphere over Macquarie Island. J Atmos Sci 57:737–752. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(2000)057<0737:IGWOIT>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton K (1991) Climatological statistics of stratospheric inertia-gravity waves deduced from historical rocketsonde wind and temperature data. J Geophys Res 96(D11):20831–20839

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirota I, Niki T (1985) A statistical study of inertia-gravity waves in the middle atmosphere. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 63(6):1055–1065

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ki M-O, Chun H-Y (2010) Characteristics and sources of inertia-gravity waves revealed in the KEOP-2007 radiosonde data. Asia Pac J Atmos Sci 46(3):261–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy DJ, Alexander SP, Klekociuk AR et al (2014) Radiosonde observations of gravity waves in the lower stratosphere over Davis, Antarctica. J Geophys Res Atmos 119:11973–11996. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JD022448

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plougonven R, Zhang F (2014) Internal gravity waves from atmospheric jets and fronts. Rev Geophys. https://doi.org/10.1002/2012RG000419

    Google Scholar 

  • Plougonven R, Teitelbaum H, Zeitlin V (2003) Inertia gravity wave generation by the tropospheric midlatitude jet as given by the fronts and atlantic storm-track experiment radio soundings. J Geophys Res 108(D21):4686. https://doi.org/10.1029/2003JD003535

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pramitha M, VenkatRatnam M et al (2016) Identification of inertia gravity wave sources observed in the troposphere and the lower stratosphere over a tropical station Gadanki. Atmos Res 176–177:202–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sato K, Yoshiki M (2008) Gravity wave generation around the polar vortex in the stratosphere revealed by 3-h radiosondeobservations at Syowa Station. J Atmos Sci 65:3719–3735. https://doi.org/10.1175/2008JAS2539.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsuda T, Murayama Y, Wiryosumarto H, Harijono SWB, Kato S (1994) Radiosonde observations of equatorial atmosphere dynamics over Indonesia: 2. characteristics of gravity waves. J Geophys Res 99:10506–510516

    Google Scholar 

  • Vincent RA, Alexander MJ (2000) Gravity waves in the tropical lower stratosphere: an observational study of seasonal and interannual variability. J Geophys Res 105(D14):17971–17982

  • Vincent RA, Fritts DC (1987) Climatology of gravity waves in the mesosphere and lower thermo-sphere over Adelaide, Australia. J Atmos Sci 44:748–760

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vincent RA, Allen SJ, Eckermann SD (1997) Gravity-wave parameters in the lower stratosphere. In: Hamilton K (ed) Gravity wave processes and their parameterization in global climate models. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, pp 7–25

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Geller MA (2003) Morphology of gravity-wave energy as observed from 4 years (1998–2001) of high vertical resolution US radiosonde data. J Geophys Res 108(D16):4489. https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD002786

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Geller MA, Alexander MJ (2005) Spatial and temporal variations of gravity wave parameters. Part I: intrinsic frequency, wavelength, and vertical propagation direction. J Atmos Sci 62:125–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang SD, Yi F (2005) A statistical study of gravity waves from radiosonde observations at Wuhan (30°N, 114°E), China. Ann Geophys 23:665–673. https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-23-665-2005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang SD, Yi F (2007) Latitudinal and seasonal variations of inertial gravity wave activity in the lower atmosphere over central China. J Geophys Res 112:D05109. https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JD007487

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang SD, Yi F, Huang CM, Zhou Q (2010) Latitudinal and seasonal variations of lower atmospheric inertial gravity wave energy revealed by US radiosonde data. Ann Geophys 28:1065–1074. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JD012265 2010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zink F, Vincent RA (2001) Wavelet analysis of stratospheric gravity wave packets over Macquarie Island 1. Wave parameters. J Geophys Res 106(D10):10275–10288

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 91337214 and 41675040). We wish to thank the anonymous reviewers for their very constructive suggestions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Middle Atmosphere and Global Environment Observation, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China

    Lei Chen, Jianchun Bian, Yi Liu, Zhixuan Bai & Shuai Qiao

  2. College of Earth Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Lei Chen, Jianchun Bian, Yi Liu, Zhixuan Bai & Shuai Qiao

Authors
  1. Lei Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jianchun Bian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yi Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Zhixuan Bai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Shuai Qiao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jianchun Bian.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chen, L., Bian, J., Liu, Y. et al. Statistical analysis of inertial gravity wave parameters in the lower stratosphere over Northern China. Clim Dyn 52, 563–575 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-018-4156-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-018-4156-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation