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A Balloon-Borne Experiment for Quasi-lagrangian Frame of Reference Measurements of Intrinsic Frequency Spectrum of Gravity Waves in ihe Stratosphere


Affiliations
1 Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
2 Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Balloon Facility, Hyderabad 500 062, India
3 India Meteorology Department, New Delhi 110 003, India
 

In the present communication, first results from an experiment to measure intrinsic frequency spectrum of atmospheric gravity waves using balloon-borne quasi-Lagrangian frame of reference observations in the mid-stratosphere over a tropical station, Hyderabad (17.4°N, 78.2°E) are discussed. A zero-pressure poly­ethylene balloon with GPS-sonde payload was drifted at ~31 km altitude for a horizontal distance of ~100 km for measuring pressure, wind and temperature at 1 sec temporal resolution. The measured altitude of the balloon showed variability within ±100 m, thus ensuring a near horizontal drift. These observations are used to estimate the intrinsic frequency spectrum of gravity waves in the mid-stratosphere over an Indian observational site. The successful experiment has opened up a new avenue for studying not only the stratospheric gravity wave dynamics, but also for exploring the hori­zontal mapping of stratospheric trace gases.

Keywords

Balloon-Borne Experiment, Gravity Waves, Intrinsic Frequency Spectrum, Stratosphere, Trace Gases.
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  • A Balloon-Borne Experiment for Quasi-lagrangian Frame of Reference Measurements of Intrinsic Frequency Spectrum of Gravity Waves in ihe Stratosphere

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Authors

Karanam Kishore Kumar
Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
K. V. Subrahmanyam
Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
B. Suneel Kumar
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Balloon Facility, Hyderabad 500 062, India
K. V. Suneeth
India Meteorology Department, New Delhi 110 003, India
M. Pramitha
Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
N. Koushik
Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
N. Nagedra
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Balloon Facility, Hyderabad 500 062, India
G. Stalin Peter
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Balloon Facility, Hyderabad 500 062, India

Abstract


In the present communication, first results from an experiment to measure intrinsic frequency spectrum of atmospheric gravity waves using balloon-borne quasi-Lagrangian frame of reference observations in the mid-stratosphere over a tropical station, Hyderabad (17.4°N, 78.2°E) are discussed. A zero-pressure poly­ethylene balloon with GPS-sonde payload was drifted at ~31 km altitude for a horizontal distance of ~100 km for measuring pressure, wind and temperature at 1 sec temporal resolution. The measured altitude of the balloon showed variability within ±100 m, thus ensuring a near horizontal drift. These observations are used to estimate the intrinsic frequency spectrum of gravity waves in the mid-stratosphere over an Indian observational site. The successful experiment has opened up a new avenue for studying not only the stratospheric gravity wave dynamics, but also for exploring the hori­zontal mapping of stratospheric trace gases.

Keywords


Balloon-Borne Experiment, Gravity Waves, Intrinsic Frequency Spectrum, Stratosphere, Trace Gases.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv122%2Fi1%2F98-103