Measurements of mesospheric gravity wave momentum fluxes and mean flow accelerations at Adelaide, Australia

Abstract Forty-one days of measurements of the upward flux of zonal momentum associated with internal atmospheric gravity waves propagating in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere, made in thirteen 2–5 day periods, in each season, for the years 1981 and 1982 are presented, and the zonal mean flow acceleration is calculated for each period. For five periods of observation the upward fluxes of both zonal and meridional momentum are presented and for these, the total mean flow acceleration is calculated. When averaged over periods of 2–5 days, the magnitude of the upward flux of zonal momentum is typically less than about 3 m2 s−1, with the largest values tending to occur in the summer and winter months, suggesting a semi-annual variation with minima at the equinoxes, although large fluctuations in magnitude and sign are possible. About 70% of the upward flux of horizontal momentum appears to be due to motions with periods less than 1 h and their contribution to the mean flow acceleration is comparable. The zonal mean flow acceleration is often in the correct sense, and of sufficient magnitude, to decelerate the zonal wind component and to balance the Coriolis torque due to the mean meridional wind, when experimental uncertainties are taken into account. When averaged over periods of around 3 days, zonal mean flow accelerations with magnitudes of up to 190 m s−1 day−1 were calculated, but more typical values are between 50 and 80 m s−1 day−1. Magnitudes of the meridional and zonal mean flow accelerations were found to be similar, so that the total mean flow acceleration is not aligned with the zonal direction in general.