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MSX satellite observations of thunderstorm‐generated gravity waves in mid‐wave infrared images of the upper stratosphere
Author(s) -
Dewan E. M.,
Picard R. H.,
O'Neil R. R.,
Gardiner H. A.,
Gibson J.,
Mill J. D.,
Richards E.,
Kendra M.,
Gallery W. O.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/98gl00640
Subject(s) - thunderstorm , gravity wave , convective storm detection , satellite , stratosphere , geology , storm , convection , altitude (triangle) , meteorology , atmospheric sciences , gravitational wave , geophysics , physics , astronomy , geometry , mathematics
Data from the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) has provided the first observations of thunderstorm‐generated gravity waves imaged from space. Gravity wave theory predicts that isolated, sufficiently convective thunderstorms can launch waves and create a unique intensity pattern of concentric circles on a radiating surface of constant altitude above such a storm. Among the MSX constant‐nadir‐angle mid‐wave infrared (MWIR) observations, two instances of such patterns have been identified. It was confirmed from meteorological satellite images that highly convective isolated thunderstorms occurred at the locations and times expected.