On the linkage of mesospheric planetary waves with those of the lower atmosphere and ionosphere: A case study from Indian low latitudes

Abstract

In this paper we study the planetary-scale wave features using concurrent observations of mesospheric wind and temperature, ionospherich'F, and tropospheric wind from Tirunelveli, Gadanki, and Kolhapur, all located in the Indian low latitudes, made during February 2009. Our investigations reveal that 3 to 5 day periodicity, characterized as ultrafast Kelvin (UFK) waves, was persistent throughout the atmosphere during this period. These waves show clear signatures of upward wave propagation from troposphere to the upper mesosphere, linking the ionosphere through a clear correlation between mesospheric winds and h'F variations. We also note that the amplitude of this wave decreased as we moved away from the equator. These results are the first of their kind from Indian sector, portraying the vertical as well as latitudinal characteristics of the 3 to 5 day UFK waves simultaneously from the troposphere to the ionosphere.