Multi-instrument Characterization of Convectively Generated Gravity Waves Over Europe Using AWE, AIRS, and GNSS Observations

NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE), installed on the International Space Station in November 2023, provides high-resolution nighttime imaging of mesospheric hydroxyl (OH) airglow emissions near 87 km altitude, enabling detailed observation of atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) on regional to global scales. With ~2 km horizontal resolution, ~1.1s cadence, and repeated mid-latitude coverage from the ISS orbit, AWE offers new opportunities to investigate the generation and vertical propagation of gravity waves associated with tropospheric weather systems. This study examines European cases of deep convection observed during the current AWE mission lifetime (2023–present), focusing on the identification and characterization of convectively generated AGWs and their vertical coupling through the stratosphere, mesosphere, and ionosphere. Convective activity is identified using publicly available European precipitation radar products, while stratospheric temperature perturbations are analyzed using observations from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). Mesospheric wave signatures are characterized using AWE airglow imagery, and ionospheric responses are examined using GNSS-derived total electron content (TEC) data from European ground-based GNSS networks. A unified analysis framework incorporating keogram construction and Fourier- and wavelet-based spectral methods is applied to quantify horizontal wavelengths, phase speeds, and propagation characteristics of observed wave fields across atmospheric layers. Similar studies in the CONUS region have indicated coherent AGW signatures spanning multiple altitudes, with mesospheric horizontal wavelengths on the order of tens of kilometers and higher-altitude ionospheric disturbances consistent with medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances. The coordinated use of satellite- and ground-based observations is intended to improve identification of gravity wave sources, constrain vertical coupling processes, and assess their role in middle-atmosphere dynamics over Europe. These results highlight the capability of coordinated, multi-instrument observations to resolve gravity wave generation and propagation in the middle atmosphere. The study contributes to improved understanding of middle-atmosphere dynamics, vertical coupling processes, and their implications for atmospheric predictability and modeling.