Modulation of gravity waves by tides as seen in CRISTA temperatures Original Research Article

During shuttle missions STS-66 (November, 1994) and STS-85 (August, 1997) the CRyogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere (CRISTA) acquired temperature data with very high spatial resolution. These are analyzed for gravity waves (GW). The altitude range spans the whole middle atmosphere from the tropopause up to the mesopause. In the upper mesosphere tidal amplitudes exceed values of 10 K. Modulation of GW activity by the tides is observed and analyzed using CRISTA temperatures and tidal predictions of the Global Scale Wave Model (GSWM). The modulation process is identified as a tidally-induced change of the background buoyancy frequency. The findings agree well with the expectations for saturated GW and are the first global scale observations of this process.