Influence of Vertical Heterogeneity of Atmospheric Temperature on the Propagation of Acoustic-Gravity Waves

Abstract

A new approach to the study of acoustic-gravity waves in the Earth’s atmosphere in the presence of vertical temperature inhomogeneity is proposed. Using this approach, the local AGW dispersion equation was obtained for the atmosphere with a small vertical temperature gradient. The modification of the acoustic and gravitational regions of freely propagating AGWs on the spectral plane $$\left( {\omega ,{{k}_{x}}} \right)$$ depending on the temperature gradient was investigated. It is shown that the acoustic and gravitational regions approach each other with a positive temperature gradient, while the distance between them increases with a negative gradient. On the spectral plane, the indicators of the location of the acoustic and gravitational regions of freely propagating AGWs are the dispersion curves of the non-divergent and inelastic horizontal wave modes. The possibility of overlapping the acoustic and gravitational regions of AGWs in a nonisothermal atmosphere was investigated.