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Matthäus Mai (IAP) "The radiative transfer gravity wave parameterization: A wave field approach for transient gravity wave parameterizations"

Matthäus Mai (IAP) will deliver a talk in IAP colloquium on 29th June 2022 on the topic, "The radiative transfer gravity wave parameterization: A wave field approach for transient gravity wave parameterizations"

He will discuss the results of his research conducted here at IAP on how Gravity waves (GW) are the main driver of the summer-to-winter-pole circulation in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). In particular, the GW-driven residual circulation gives rise to the cold summer mesopause and the warm winter polar stratopause.
Most of the GWs are not resolved in low-resolution global circulation models used for long-term simulations like climate simulations. However, because of their impact on the MLT region, they must be parameterized. Conventional parameterizations are based on strong assumptions, namely the single-column and steady state approximation.
In this talk, he will present a new framework for GW parameterization that relaxes the steady state approximation - The Radiative Transfer gravity wave Parameterization (RTP). This transient parameterization provides the local energy density of a wave field, from which the wave-mean flow interaction are calculated. Results of idealised test simulations will show that the wave field behaves as theoretically expected in different background configurations. Recent online simulations in a T32 KMCM version in January conditions provides adequate and horizontal wind 
As an Outlook, he will point to the future challenges of realistic source functions for gravity wave parameterization as well as the possibility to treat primary and higher order gravity waves in a single framework.