Abstract
A model of gravity wave propagation and mean flow effects is compared to observations. Despite the absence of any gravity wave source variations in this model, monthly mean distributions in the gravity wave-driven zonal force and temperature variance show very realistic seasonal, vertical, and geographical variations in the middle atmosphere. A comparison to recent Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite observations by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) suggests the observed patterns are not indicative of variations in gravity wave sources, but instead result from a convolution of two effects on the gravity wave spectrum: 1) Doppler-shifting by the background winds, and 2) vertical wavelength filtering by the observation technique itself. These results underscore the importance of variations in the background winds in interpreting observations of gravity waves and their effects on the middle atmosphere.
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