Gravity wave kinetic, potential, and vertical fluctuation energies as indicators of different frequency gravity waves

An advantage of examining atmospheric gravity waves using high vertical‐resolution radiosonde data over other measurement techniques is that horizontal wind, temperature, and vertical ascent rate can be measured directly. This allows the kinetic, potential, and vertical velocity fluctuation energies to be derived independently. Each of these gravity wave energies is shown to have sensitivity to different gravity wave frequencies. Observed correlations among these energies are consistent with this, and simulations of these correlations are shown to constrain gravity wave frequency spectra. The climatology of these energies shows quite different variations with month of the year and with latitude such that the vertical fluctuation energy seems to be a better indicator of convectively forced higher‐frequency gravity waves.