Uncertainties in using the hodograph method to retrieve gravity wave characteristics from individual soundings

Fuqing Zhang, Shuguang Wang, Riwal Plougonven

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

The hodograph method is commonly used to retrieve inertio-gravity wave characteristics from individual vertical profiles of the winds. In order to estimate the uncertainties of this method, we have analyzed mesoscale numerical simulations of a gravity wave event in which a coherent quasi-monochromatic inertio-gravity wave packet is present. Single profiles are extracted from the simulations, analyzed using the hodograph method, and the derived wave characteristics are compared to the reference values determined from the four-dimensional simulated fields. Although the conditions favor the use of the hodograph method, the derived wave parameters possess significant uncertainties.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)L11110 1-5
JournalGeophysical Research Letters
Volume31
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 16 2004

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Geophysics
  • General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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