On Ray Paths in Mountain Waves

Abstract

In mountain-wave studies, specific formulae are not well known for paths of ascent of wave energy and momentum from their origins in mountainous terrain. Thew formulae are developed and presented here, along with their sometimes bizarre implications. They were sought as part of an ongoing study of mountain-wave parameterization for use in general circulation modeling, but are important in their own right as well, e.g., in simple problems such as finding the terrain responsible for certain banded clouds.