Whole Atmosphere Zonal Wind and Density Perturbations

We have extended the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model to include the upper thermosphere (WACCM-X). These animations show the zonal wind and relative density perturbations from 20 to 29 December at 52N from a WACCM-X simulation. The output interval is 3 hours. The simulation clearly shows the varying temporal-spatial scales in different atmospheric regions: Planetary waves and migrating tides dominate below the mesosphere and in the upper thermosphere, respectively. In the mesosphere and lower thermopshere, the temporal-spatial scales are complex with the presence of tides, planetary waves, resolved gravity waves, and probably the interaction of these waves.