Quantifying gravity wave momentum fluxes with mesosphere temperature mappers and correlative instrumentation

An Advanced Mesosphere Temperature Mapper and other instruments at the Arctic Lidar Observatory for Middle Atmosphere Research in Norway (69.3°N) and at Logan and Bear Lake Observatory in Utah (42°N) are used to demonstrate a new method for quantifying gravity wave (GW) pseudo-momentum fluxes accompanying spatially and temporally localized GW packets. The method improves on previous airglow techniques by employing direct characterization of the GW temperature perturbations averaged over the OH airglow layer and correlative wind and temperature measurements to define the intrinsic GW properties with high confidence. These methods are applied to two events, each of which involves superpositions of GWs having various scales and character. In each case, small-scale GWs were found to achieve transient, but very large, momentum fluxes with magnitudes varying from ~60 to 940 m2 s−2, which are ~1–2 decades larger than mean values. Quantification of the spatial and temporal variations of GW amplitudes and pseudo-momentum fluxes may also enable assessments of the total pseudo-momentum accompanying individual GW packets and of the potential for secondary GW generation that arises from GW localization. We expect that the use of this method will yield key insights into the statistical forcing of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere by GWs, the importance of infrequent large-amplitude events, and their effects on GW spectral evolution with altitude

Structure, variability, and mean-flow interactions of the January 2015 quasi-two-day wave at middle and high southern latitudes

The structure, variability, and mean-flow interactions of the quasi-2-day wave (Q2DW) in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere during January 2015 were studied employing meteor and medium-frequency radar winds at eight sites from 23 degrees S to 76 degrees S and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) temperature and geopotential height measurements from 30 degrees S to 80 degrees S. The event had a duration of 20-25 days, dominant periods of 44-52 hr, temperature amplitudes as large as 16 K, and zonal and meridional wind amplitudes as high as 40 and 80 m/s, respectively, at middle and lower latitudes. MLS measurements enabled definition of balance winds that agreed well with radar wind amplitudes and phases at middle latitudes where amplitudes were large and quantification of the various Q2DW modes contributing to the full wave field. The Q2DW event was composed primarily of the westward zonal wavenumber 3 (W3) mode but also had measurable amplitudes in other westward modes W1, W2, and W4; eastward modes E1 and E2; and stationary mode S0. Of the secondary modes, W1, W2, and E2 had the larger amplitudes. Inferred MLS balance winds enabled estimates of the Eliassen-Palm fluxes for each mode, and cumulative zonal accelerations that were found to be in reasonable agreement with radar estimates from 35 degrees S to 70 degrees S at the lower altitudes at which radar winds were available

Harmonized data on early stage litter decomposition using tea material across Japan [Data paper]

Litter and soil organic matter decomposition represents one of the major drivers of carbon and nutrient cycling in a given ecosystem; however, it also contributes to a significant production of relevant greenhouse gasses. The Japanese archipelago spans several biomes (boreal‐temperate‐subtropical) and covers a large range of elevations and ecosystem types. Hence, the comprehension of this fundamental biogeochemical process in diverse ecosystems is crucial to maintain their ecosystem services. In this article, we have provided data on plant leaf decomposition from 33 research sites across Japan. At each site, standard litter material with different decomposition rates, rooibos tea and green tea were incubated for 90 days between 2012 and 2016 and the remaining mass was recorded. In total, 1904 bags were used. In addition, supplementary measurements of environmental variables essential for the interpretation of the collected data, such as soil and vegetation, were recorded. Plot‐level averages of the remaining mass rates of bag contents after incubation ranged 0.17–0.51 for green tea and 0.54–0.82 for rooibos tea. Continued monitoring will also provide important insights into the temporal dynamics of litter decomposition