Mesospheric hydroxyl airglow signatures of acoustic and gravity waves generated by transient tropospheric forcing

Numerical model results demonstrate that acoustic waves generated by tropospheric sources may produce cylindrical concentric ring signatures in the mesospheric hydroxyl airglow layer. They may arrive as precursors to upward propagating gravity waves, generated simultaneously by the same sources, and produce strong temperature perturbations in the thermosphere above. Transient and short-lived, the acoustic wave airglow intensity and temperature signatures are predicted to be detectable by ground-based airglow imaging systems and may provide new insight into the forcing of the upper atmosphere from below.