Gravity wave interactions around the jet stream

VHF radar measurements have been applied to study the interaction between a mountain wave and an inertia-gravity wave above the jet stream in the tropopause region. The mountain wave was observed to break and generate turbulence at a critical level that was induced by the inertia-gravity wave. This indicates that wave-wave interactions can be an important source of turbulence and, consequently, mixing in the tropopause region.