Open AccessAcoustic waves generated by gusty flow over hilly terrain
Author(s) -
Walterscheid R. L.,
Hickey M. P.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2005ja011166
Subject(s) - terrain , geology , gravity wave , eddy , flow (mathematics) , geophysics , gravitational wave , acoustics , wave propagation , meteorology , physics , mechanics , optics , turbulence , geography , cartography , astrophysics
We examine the generation of acoustic waves by gusty flow over hilly terrain. We use simple theoretical models of the interaction between terrain and eddies and a linear model of acoustic‐gravity wave propagation. The calculations presented here suggest that over a dense array of geographically extensive sources orographically generated vertically propagating acoustic waves can be a significant cause of thermospheric heating. This heating may account in good part for the thermospheric hot spot near the Andes reported by Meriwether et al. (1996, 1997).