{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/135773"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/135773","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"A Survey of Seasonal, Hemispheric and Interannual Variations in the Gravity Wave Spectrum in the Upper Stratosphere and Lower Mesosphere","abstract":"This thesis presents for the first time a comprehensive, multi-year analysis of gravity waves (GWs) in the Earth's middle atmosphere using satellite observations from the Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). Data from the years 2019–2021 are examined, covering both stratospheric and mesospheric altitudes and focusing on four representative months: January, February, July, and August. CIPS and AIRS datasets are processed using custom-built spectral analysis pipelines to extract horizontal wavelengths, amplitudes, and propagation direction information, with specific emphasis on the overlapping observational region between ±60° latitude. We assess the spatial, seasonal, and interannual variability of GW characteristics, comparing zonal and meridional wavelength distributions across hemispheres and investigating the effects of dynamical events such as sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs). Results reveal that CIPS captures significant seasonal shifts and hemispheric asymmetries in GW activity—particularly during winter months with active SSW events—while AIRS exhibits more stable directional distributions with dominant longer horizontal wavelengths. By separating zonal and meridional components and conducting regional 1D and 2D analyses, we demonstrate that combining mesospheric and stratospheric observations provides new insights into the vertical coupling and geographic variability of atmospheric wave dynamics. This study emphasizes the importance of multi-platform GW analysis in advancing our understanding of atmospheric circulation and climate variability.","abstract_html":"This thesis presents for the first time a comprehensive, multi-year analysis of gravity waves (GWs) in the Earth's middle atmosphere using satellite observations from the Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). Data from the years 2019–2021 are examined, covering both stratospheric and mesospheric altitudes and focusing on four representative months: January, February, July, and August. CIPS and AIRS datasets are processed using custom-built spectral analysis pipelines to extract horizontal wavelengths, amplitudes, and propagation direction information, with specific emphasis on the overlapping observational region between ±60° latitude. We assess the spatial, seasonal, and interannual variability of GW characteristics, comparing zonal and meridional wavelength distributions across hemispheres and investigating the effects of dynamical events such as sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs). Results reveal that CIPS captures significant seasonal shifts and hemispheric asymmetries in GW activity—particularly during winter months with active SSW events—while AIRS exhibits more stable directional distributions with dominant longer horizontal wavelengths. By separating zonal and meridional components and conducting regional 1D and 2D analyses, we demonstrate that combining mesospheric and stratospheric observations provides new insights into the vertical coupling and geographic variability of atmospheric wave dynamics. This study emphasizes the importance of multi-platform GW analysis in advancing our understanding of atmospheric circulation and climate variability.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ray, Malabika"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Aerospace Engineering","degree_department":"Aerospace and Ocean Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["England, Scott L.","Bailey, Scott M."],"committee_members":["Thurairajah, Brentha"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-07-07","date_published":"2025-07-07","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:44Z","subjects":["CIPS","AIMS","Gravity Waves","Sudden Stratospheric Warmings","Remote Sensing"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:44102"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:44102","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10919/135773","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["England, Scott L.","Bailey, Scott M."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Thurairajah, Brentha"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Aerospace and Ocean Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ray, Malabika"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-07-08T08:00:26Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-07-08T08:00:26Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-07-07"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Aerospace Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["CIPS","AIMS","Gravity Waves","Sudden Stratospheric Warmings","Remote Sensing"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:44102"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/135773"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis presents for the first time a comprehensive, multi-year analysis of gravity waves (GWs) in the Earth's middle atmosphere using satellite observations from the Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). Data from the years 2019–2021 are examined, covering both stratospheric and mesospheric altitudes and focusing on four representative months: January, February, July, and August. CIPS and AIRS datasets are processed using custom-built spectral analysis pipelines to extract horizontal wavelengths, amplitudes, and propagation direction information, with specific emphasis on the overlapping observational region between ±60° latitude. We assess the spatial, seasonal, and interannual variability of GW characteristics, comparing zonal and meridional wavelength distributions across hemispheres and investigating the effects of dynamical events such as sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs). Results reveal that CIPS captures significant seasonal shifts and hemispheric asymmetries in GW activity—particularly during winter months with active SSW events—while AIRS exhibits more stable directional distributions with dominant longer horizontal wavelengths. By separating zonal and meridional components and conducting regional 1D and 2D analyses, we demonstrate that combining mesospheric and stratospheric observations provides new insights into the vertical coupling and geographic variability of atmospheric wave dynamics. This study emphasizes the importance of multi-platform GW analysis in advancing our understanding of atmospheric circulation and climate variability."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["Gravity waves are invisible waves in the atmosphere that help move energy and momentum between different layers of the sky. They play an important role in shaping winds and weather patterns far above the clouds. In this study, we used data from two NASA satellites—AIRS and CIPS—to study these waves at different heights in the atmosphere and how they change across seasons and locations. We focus on three years, from 2019 to 2021, and analyze four months representing summer and winter in each hemisphere. We find that these waves are not distributed evenly across the planet. Their direction and size change depending on the time of year, location, and large-scale weather events like sudden warming in the polar regions. We also compare the behavior of these waves in two different layers of the atmosphere. This research helps scientists understand how the lower and upper parts of the atmosphere are connected and how changes in one part can influence the entire system. This research helps us better understand how the atmosphere works, and how different layers interact with each other through waves we can't see but can now study from space."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Survey of Seasonal, Hemispheric and Interannual Variations in the Gravity Wave Spectrum in the Upper Stratosphere and Lower Mesosphere"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["England, Scott L.","Bailey, Scott M."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Thurairajah, Brentha"],"dc:contributor.department":["Aerospace and Ocean Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Ray, Malabika"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-07-08T08:00:26Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-07-08T08:00:26Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-07-07"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis presents for the first time a comprehensive, multi-year analysis of gravity waves (GWs) in the Earth's middle atmosphere using satellite observations from the Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). Data from the years 2019–2021 are examined, covering both stratospheric and mesospheric altitudes and focusing on four representative months: January, February, July, and August. CIPS and AIRS datasets are processed using custom-built spectral analysis pipelines to extract horizontal wavelengths, amplitudes, and propagation direction information, with specific emphasis on the overlapping observational region between ±60° latitude. We assess the spatial, seasonal, and interannual variability of GW characteristics, comparing zonal and meridional wavelength distributions across hemispheres and investigating the effects of dynamical events such as sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs). Results reveal that CIPS captures significant seasonal shifts and hemispheric asymmetries in GW activity—particularly during winter months with active SSW events—while AIRS exhibits more stable directional distributions with dominant longer horizontal wavelengths. By separating zonal and meridional components and conducting regional 1D and 2D analyses, we demonstrate that combining mesospheric and stratospheric observations provides new insights into the vertical coupling and geographic variability of atmospheric wave dynamics. This study emphasizes the importance of multi-platform GW analysis in advancing our understanding of atmospheric circulation and climate variability."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["Gravity waves are invisible waves in the atmosphere that help move energy and momentum between different layers of the sky. They play an important role in shaping winds and weather patterns far above the clouds. In this study, we used data from two NASA satellites—AIRS and CIPS—to study these waves at different heights in the atmosphere and how they change across seasons and locations. We focus on three years, from 2019 to 2021, and analyze four months representing summer and winter in each hemisphere. We find that these waves are not distributed evenly across the planet. Their direction and size change depending on the time of year, location, and large-scale weather events like sudden warming in the polar regions. We also compare the behavior of these waves in two different layers of the atmosphere. This research helps scientists understand how the lower and upper parts of the atmosphere are connected and how changes in one part can influence the entire system. This research helps us better understand how the atmosphere works, and how different layers interact with each other through waves we can't see but can now study from space."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:44102"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/135773"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["CIPS","AIMS","Gravity Waves","Sudden Stratospheric Warmings","Remote Sensing"],"dc:title":["A Survey of Seasonal, Hemispheric and Interannual Variations in the Gravity Wave Spectrum in the Upper Stratosphere and Lower Mesosphere"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Aerospace Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:44Z"}