Saturated and Unsaturated Spectra of Gravity Waves and Scale-Dependent Diffusion

Abstract

For a highly idealized condition, the spectrum of saturated and unsaturated gravity waves at each height is calculated directly from the wave equation. A principal feature of this wave equation is the inclusion of wave dissipation, although in an approximate form. In the absence of wave absorption, reflection, radiation, wind shears, resonant wave?wave interactions and other sources and sinks, this dissipation at each height is determined solely by the ?turbulent? or chaotic state caused by off-resonant wave?wave interactions and instability of the (broad) wave spectrum at that height. The dissipation is approximately accounted for by a diffusion term. The appropriate diffusivity is self-consistent with the continuum of spectral waves that cause the chaotic state and is argued to be scale dependent. An inverse calculation is also made of what the observed spectra imply for wave dissipation?again assuming that many wave dissipations can be approximately described by a scale-dependent diffusion process. The relationship of middle atmospheric spectra to (averaged) gravity wave sources in the troposphere is investigated.