Ray Tracing of Gravity Waves in Vortex Dipoles
Shuguang Wang and Fuqing Zhang
Texas A&M Univ.
Chris Snyder
NCAR
Dave Muraki
Simon Fraser Univ.

Mesoscale Model and Ray Tracing Model for Dipole Simulation
Initial Conditions of the Dipoles: horizontal and Vertical Cross sections
Simulated Gravity Waves at 1.5km and 72h from a Surface Dipole
Simulated Gravity Waves at 1.5km and 72h from a Surface Dipole
Ray Tracing of Gravity Waves
72h Ray Tracing from the Surface Dipole
72 h Ray Tracing from the Surface Dipole
72h Ray Tracing from the Surface Dipole
72h Ray tracing from the Surface Dipole
Simulated Gravity Waves at 1.5km and 270h from a Surface Dipole
270h Ray Tracing from the Surface Dipole
270h Ray Tracing from the Surface Dipole
270h Ray Tracing from the Surface Dipole
270h Ray Tracing from the Surface Dipole
Gravity Waves from a Mid-level Dipole
Ray Tracing from the Mid-level Dipole
Ray Tracing from the Mid-level Dipole
Gravity Waves from a Dipole at Tropopause Level
Ray Tracing from the Dipole at Tropopause Level
Ray Tracing from the Dipole at Tropopause Level
Summary
Gravity waves are simulated at the jet exit regions associated with dipoles. In the surface dipole case, gravity waves are generated near the surface and do not propagate above 5km at later time. In the mid-level dipole case, gravity waves are generated near the jet exit region and propagate both upward and downward. Gravity waves generated from a tropopause level dipole propagate upward mostly.
Four dimensional ray tracing model accommodates the temporal and spatial variations of the background wind from the dipole simulation. Our results show that as the gravity waves propagate upward, wave characteristics changes significantly.
Horizontal and vertical wave wavelength decreases.
Intrinsic group velocity decreases but never vanishes. Wave packets are finally almost advected by weak mean wind.
Intrinsic frequency are close to inertial frequency.
How gravity waves are generated has not been fully understood. Spontaneous wave emission could be most possibly generation mechanism for gravity waves in vortex pairs.