Acoustic-gravity waves in the atmosphere with a piecewise-linear temperature profile

Abstract

We consider the problem of propagation of acoustic-gravity waves in the atmosphere with a constant temperature gradient in the near-surface layer. The assumption of linear temperature dependence on height allowed us to reduce the wave equation to the hypergeometric form, regardless of the compressibility of the medium. The solution of this equation is represented in terms of degenerate hypergeometric functions. To analyze the obtained solution, we consider a two-layer model of a half-bounded atmosphere with a height-independent background temperature in the upper layer. The results are studied in detail under the approximation of an incompressible medium. For the model specified above, we find analytical expressions for the perturbation fields and obtain a characteristic equation whose solution allows us to calculate wave dispersion characteristics at frequencies close to the Brunt-Vaisala frequency for large horizontal scales as compared to the layer thickness.