Statistical Characteristics of Gravity Waves With Near‐Inertial Frequencies in the Antarctic Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere Observed by the PANSY Radar

Abstract Gravity waves (GWs) have temporally and spatially small scales. Observations of GWs have been limited especially in the polar region due to its harsh environment. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the statistical characteristics of GWs in the Antarctic troposphere and lower stratosphere based on the continuous data over a year from 1 October 2015 to 30 September 2016 using the full system of the Program of the Antarctic Syowa MST/IS Radar (PANSY) radar at Syowa Station (69.0°S, 39.6°E). Such continuous observations over a long duration are unprecedented for high‐power Mesosphere‐Stratosphere‐Troposphere (MST) radars at any latitude. The frequency power spectra of horizontal wind fluctuations reveal a clear isolated maximum around the inertial frequency (f) in the lower stratosphere. A statistical analysis is performed, focusing on the GWs with near‐inertial frequencies (NIGWs) that are dominant in the lower stratosphere. According to the results of hodograph analyses, there are a considerable proportion of NIGWs propagating energy downward in the upper troposphere during all seasons, as well as in the winter stratosphere above a height of 15 km, whereas NIGWs with upward group velocities are dominant in the lower troposphere and the lowermost stratosphere. These results suggest that there are NIGW sources on the ground and around the tropopause during all seasons and in the stratosphere and/or above in winter. Plausible candidates for these sources are topography, the tropospheric jet, and the polar night jet. The statistical characteristics of NIGWs, such as horizontal phase velocity, provide powerful support for our inferences of wave sources.