Abstract

We study the response of the thermosphere and ionosphere to the dissipation of gravity waves (GWs) excited by a deep convective plume on 1 October 2005 at 52.5 degrees W, 15.0 degrees S, and 2120 UT in Brazil. Those small-and medium-scale GWs which reach the thermosphere dissipate at z similar to... Show moreWe study the response of the thermosphere and ionosphere to the dissipation of gravity waves (GWs) excited by a deep convective plume on 1 October 2005 at 52.5 degrees W, 15.0 degrees S, and 2120 UT in Brazil. Those small-and medium-scale GWs which reach the thermosphere dissipate at z similar to 120-250 km in a direction opposite to the background wind similar to(1-2) density scale heights below. This localized momentum deposition creates horizontal thermospheric body forces that have large sizes and amplitudes and generates large-scale secondary GWs and large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (LSTIDs) that propagate globally away from the body force in all directions except that perpendicular to the force direction. For the convective plume at 2120 UT, the secondary GWs have horizontal wavelengths of lambda(H) similar to 2100-2200 km, periods of tau(r) similar to 80 min, horizontal phase speeds of c(H) similar to 480-510 m/s, density perturbations as large as vertical bar rho'/(rho) over bar vertical bar similar to 3.6-5% at z = 400 km, relative [O] perturbations as large as similar to 2-2.5% at z = 300 km, and total electron content perturbations as large as similar to 8%. This transfer of momentum from local, relatively slow, small scales at the tropopause to global, fast, large scales in the thermosphere is independent of geomagnetic conditions. The various characteristics of these large-scale waves may explain observations of LSTIDs at magnetically quiet times. We also find that this body force creates a localized mean'' horizontal wind in the direction of the body force. For the plume at 2120 UT, the wind is southward with an estimated maximum of nu(max) similar to -400 m s(-1) that is dissipated after similar to 4 h. We also find that the induced body force direction varies throughout the day, depending on the winds in the lower thermosphere. Show less