Gravity waves in the troposphere and stratosphere during the MaCWAVE/MIDAS summer rocket program

Combining data taken during the MaCWAVE summer rocket campaign at the Andøya Rocket Range (69.3°N, 16.0°E) with a lidar, radiosondes, falling spheres, and VHF radars at Andøya and at the Esrange, the gravity wave content of the troposphere and stratosphere during the campaign nights was analyzed. The lidar yielded vertical wavelengths and periods of gravity waves in the stratosphere. A Stokes parameter analysis was performed for the radiosonde and falling sphere data to estimate propagation directions of the gravity waves. The wave content in the troposphere was inferred by applying wavelet and cross‐spectral methods to the radar data. We found propagation conditions and spectra of the waves to vary with height following the change in the background wind. The waves were excited both at the ground and in the tropopause/lower stratosphere region.