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Gravity wave research

Richter, in collaboration with Pennsylvania State University graduate student Alex Hassiotis configured the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) to simulate gravity wave generation near northern Australia during the Darwin Area Wave Experiment (DAWEX). This simulation is quite novel to gravity wave research, as it resolves gravity waves with horizontal scales on the order of tens to thousands of kilometers in one simulation. This work elucidates the importance of surface terrain and the interaction of various wave sources to the gravity wave spectrum propagating into the stratosphere. The modeled gravity wave field is being examined using Fourier and wavelet analysis and is being compared to an existing convective source spectrum parameterization. During the course of this work, it was found that the top boundary condition in WRF is not ideally suited for gravity wave studies as wave reflections occur from the top boundary even in the presence of a damping layer. Richter plans to work with Hassiotis, Joe Klemp (MMM), and Hanli Liu (HAO) to implement a radiative top boundary condition in WRF.