Extracting gravity wave (GW) perturbations from atmospheric observations relies on background removal techniques whose results may differ depending on the observational type and the spectral characteristics of the chosen method. This variability complicates the intercomparison of GW properties across instruments, sites, and studies. Nighttime averaging provides a simple estimate of the background but may smooth out smaller-scale structures. Spectral filtering enables targeted wavelength extraction, though it can be sensitive to noise and edge effects. Sliding polynomial fit offers flexibility but may suppress relevant signals depending on the polynomial degree. To address this issue, we implement and evaluate a processing method based on multiresolution analysis (MRA), designed to better extract and characterize the background and the multi-scale structures of GWs in lidar temperature and wind profiles. The MRA approach is then evaluated in comparison to these techniques and applied to lidar temperature and wind measurements collected on the night of 20 November 2023 at La R & eacute;union. By decomposing the signal into dyadic vertical wavelength bands and an appropriate choice of corresponding details, the MRA can improve the detection of GW-induced perturbations in the spectral range of 0.8 to 12.8 km vertical wavelength by simultaneous background removal and denoising. We use the variance method as a benchmark for determining gravity waves potential energy (GWPE) and ask the question: "How well do the different filtering techniques compare with the variance method?" Given an overall agreement between our developped MRA and the variance method, we conclude that the MRA can also be used to determine reliable gravity wave kinetic energy (GWKE).Beyond energy estimation, MRA provides a unique capability to compute kinetic and potential energy profiles for tunable vertical wavelength bands, enabling the characterization of vertical and temporal evolution and interactions between different GW scales. These results establish MRA as a robust and complementary tool for improving GW analyses from lidar measurements, with promising applications to long-term climatologies and multi-instrument observational strategies.

The study investigates the vertical wave coupling from the Earth's surface to the middle atmosphere over the Maïdo Observatory at La Réunion (21°S, 55.5°E). Wind velocity and temperature profiles from the ground-based instruments, including the LiWind Doppler Rayleigh-Mie and Li1200 Rayleigh Lidars, in conjunction with other observations (radiosoundings, COSMIC-2 radio-occultation, SABER) and ERA5 reanalysis, are analyzed to characterize gravity waves (GW) and their vertical propagation during the period from November 20th to November 24th, 2023. Notably, a tropospheric subtropical westerly jet manifested above La Réunion during this period and jet instabilities contributed to enhance GW activity in the troposphere. Wavelet methods are employed for denoising purposes and for highlighting multiscale GW from raw wind and temperature profiles. In particular, our analysis reveals the existence of a GW with a 5-km vertical wavelength and approximately a 24-hour period, propagating upward from lower troposphere to the middle atmosphere above La Réunion’s Maïdo Observatory. Among others, the horizontal distribution of this structure surrounding La Réunion is examined using COSMIC-2 radio-occultation and SABER data. In addition, the ERA5 analysis also provides supporting evidence of such structures and GW filtering in the stratosphere.

Atmospheric gravity waves (GWs) play a crucial role in vertically coupling the lower and upper atmosphere, significantly impacting middle atmosphere dynamics. Despite their importance, accurately representing GWs remains a persistent challenge for numerical weather prediction and global atmospheric models.Atmospheric particulate matter or aerosols present in both the troposphere and the stratosphere are deeply involved in radiative processes and atmospheric chemistry. A strong interplay exists between GWs and aerosols, particularly in the formation and evolution of cirrus clouds. Furthermore, aerosol-induced warming processes can also generate GWs within the atmospheric boundary layer, especially over polluted tropical cities. The dynamics of the aerosol vertical distribution can, in certain cases, serve as tracers for GWs, particularly during intense aerosol mixing driven by strong meteorological events in the troposphere and stratosphere.This study examines GW-induced perturbations in lidar backscatter profiles observed above the Maïdo Observatory at La Réunion (21°S, 55°E) on the night of November 21, 2023 near the southern subtropical barrier. Complementary data from lidar-based temperature and wind measurements, radiosondes, COSMIC-2 satellite observations, and ERA5 reanalysis confirm key GW characteristics in the mid-troposphere. These include a vertical wavelength of 5-6 km, an observed period of approximately 24 hours, an downward phase propagation, and an upward energy propagation into the stratosphere.

Atmospheric gravity waves (GWs) are a key area of research due to their significant impact on atmospheric dynamics and chemistry, as well as the ongoing challenges in resolving small-scale structures in weather prediction and climate models. Over the past four decades, lidars have proven to be invaluable observational instruments for providing detailed insights into vertically propagating GWs in the middle atmosphere.To advance the characterization of GWs, various signal processing techniques have been developed to extract GW-induced perturbations and calculate their associated potential and kinetic energy densities. In this study, we introduce a multiresolution analysis (MRA) method that enhances the interpretation of lidar signals by decomposing GWs into successive vertical wavelength bands, enabling a more refined understanding of their structure and dynamics. The MRA method is compared to conventional approaches by extracting perturbations and computing energy density profiles from temperature (from 30 to 80 km) and wind (from 7 to 60 km) lidar profiles observed on the night of November 20, 2023, over La Réunion (21.0°S, 55.5°E). The results highlight the MRA method's superior efficiency in analyzing GWs embedded within lidar vertical profiles of temperature and horizontal wind, offering a powerful tool for advancing the study of atmospheric wave processes in the middle atmosphere.

The infrared emission lines observed between 80 and 100 km known as nightglow allow the investigation of dynamic phenomena such as gravity waves with adapted cameras. In particular, the OH nightglow emission peaking at 87 km can be observed with short wave infrared InGaAs cameras and most of studies use these observations to investigate dynamics at this height. In this study, we briefly describe the methodology to assess the availability of nightglow observations at ground level depending on the spectral bands and the local atmospheric conditions. The impact of clouds on the spectral radiance propagation is estimated by the use of radiative transfer models. Sensitivity tests are completed on clouds characteristics, such as vertical width or the type of clouds. In addition, we integrate directional fluxes on the celestial dome to assess the level of radiance available at the ground level for night vision imaging. Statistical temporal comparisons are performed using available observations campaigns at Observatory of Haute-Provence (OHP) and at Maïdo Observatory.

Lower ionosphere is the theater of interactions between the ionized atmosphere and homogeneous atmosphere. Some phenomena such as gravity and acoustic waves which originate from the homogeneous atmosphere also impact the ionosphere and are suspected to be the source of sporadic disturbances in the E-region. Our goal is to correlate these disturbances to acoustic and gravity waves through modelling and ionosphere sounding. We first present the first steps towards this goal, a bi-dimensionnal, inviscid and compressible acoustic-gravity wave model coupled to a nightglow emission model (NEMO). Then subsequent cross-comparisons with acoustic and gravity waves seen in the OH nightglow emission layer using an infrared sensor and MRA (Multi-Resolution Analysis) are discussed. These comparisons will help to improve the model’s rendering of wave impacts on their transportation medium, before extending the model’s range to ionospheric heights and properties.

The study investigates the vertical wave coupling from the Earth's surface to the middle atmosphere over the Maïdo Observatory at La Réunion (21°S, 55.5°E). Wind velocity and temperature profiles from the ground-based instruments, including the LiWind Doppler Rayleigh-Mie and Li1200 Rayleigh Lidars, in conjunction with other observations (radiosoundings, COSMIC-2 radio-occultation, SABER) and ERA5 reanalysis, are analyzed to characterize gravity waves (GW) and their vertical propagation during the period from November 20th to November 24th, 2023. Notably, a tropospheric subtropical westerly jet manifested above La Réunion during this period and jet instabilities contributed to enhance GW activity in the troposphere. Wavelet methods are employed for denoising purposes and for highlighting multiscale GW from raw wind and temperature profiles. In particular, our analysis reveals the existence of a GW with a 5-km vertical wavelength and approximately a 24-hour period, propagating upward from lower troposphere to the middle atmosphere above La Réunion’s Maïdo Observatory. Among others, the horizontal distribution of this structure surrounding La Réunion is examined using COSMIC-2 radio-occultation and SABER data. In addition, the ERA5 analysis also provides supporting evidence of such structures and GW filtering in the stratosphere.

The dynamic vertical coupling in the middle and lower thermosphere (MLT) is documented over the Maïdo observatory at La Réunion island (21°S, 55°E). The investigation uses data obtained in the framework of the Atmospheric dynamics Research InfraStructure in Europe (ARISE) project. In particular, Rayleigh lidar and nightglow measurements combined with other observations and modeling provide information on a mesospheric inversion layer (MIL) and the related gravity waves (GWs) on 9 and 10 October 2017. A Rossby wave breaking (RWB) produced instabilities in the sheared background wind and a strong tropospheric activity of GWs on 9–11 October above La Réunion. The MIL was observed on the night of 9 October when a large amount of tropospheric GWs propagated upward into the middle atmosphere and disappeared on 11 October when the stratospheric zonal wind filtering became a significant blocking. Among other results, dominant mesospheric GW modes with vertical wavelengths of about 4–6 km and 10–13 km can be traced down to the troposphere and up to the mesopause. Dominant GWs with a wavelength of ~2–3 km and 6 km also propagated upward and eastward from the tropospheric source into the stratosphere on 9–11 October. Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) temperature and OH profiles indicate that GW activity in the middle atmosphere affects the upper atmosphere with waves breaking at heights below the MIL and in the mesopause. Several techniques are illustrated on nightglow images to access GW activity and spectral characteristics at the mesopause for high and low frequency GWs on the nights of 9–10 October. In conclusion, intense tropospheric activity of GWs induced by RWB events can be linked with MILs at the subtropical barrier in the South-West Indian Ocean during austral winter.

The infrared emission lines observed between 80 and 100 km known as nightglow allow the investigation of dynamic phenomena such as gravity waves. These perturbations act on local temperature and density. However, the observation of the local perturbations in the nightglow layer is mainly performed by spectrally broad cameras. Swenson and Gardner (1998) introduced the cancellation factor linking relative variations of intensity with relative variations of temperature. The cancellation factor is a function of the perturbation vertical wavelength estimated from simulation that do not include spectral variations. In this study, we intend to estimate the spectral variability of the cancellation factor, in particular within the range 0.9-1.7 µm corresponding to infrared InGaAs camera, used during measurement campaigns. We describe briefly the model that resolves the vibrational states of the nightglow main source (OH). Then vertically propagating gravity waves are applied on a 1D scheme and the cancellation factor is computed based on the impact on both temperature and intensity. Spectral variations of the cancellation factor are observed and compared along the variation of the vertical wavelength.

Mesospheric temperature inversions are subject to investigations due to the links with multiscale dynamics such as planetary wave and gravity waves. Knowing the impact on climatological inversions also requires understanding the phenomena occurring before, through, and after a mesospheric inversion. We use data obtained during a measurement campaign over Maïdo observatory in La Réunion Island and focus on a specific event occurring in the night between the 9th and the 10th of October 2017. Among the several observations available, LIDAR measurements provided vertical profiles of temperature and gravity waves potential energy completed by high vertical resolution radiosoundings. The airglow layer observed by an InGaAs camera shows the evolution of gravity wave structures at about 87 km between 0.9 and 1.7 µm. Gravity wave parameters such as horizontal wavelengths or intensity emission variations are extracted, along with potential energy compared with LIDAR data. We use atmospheric models (ERA5, WACCM, WRF) and specific tools (NEMO, GROGRAT) to add supplementary information about the night selected. We present here the first results related to the gravity waves and energy exchanges in the frame of the temperature inversion.

Tropical cyclones (TCs) are complex sources of atmospheric gravity waves (GWs). In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting Model was used to model TC Soudelor (2015) and the induced elliptical structures of GWs in the upper troposphere (UT) and lower stratosphere (LS) prior to its landfall over Taiwan. Conventional, spectral and wavelet analyses exhibit dominant GWs with horizontal and vertical wavelengths, and periods of 16–700 km, 1.5–5 km, and 1–20 h, respectively. The wave number one (WN1) wind asymmetry generated mesoscale inertia GWs with dominant horizontal wavelengths of 100–300 km, vertical wavelengths of 1.5–2.5 km (3.5 km) and westward (eastward) propagation at the rear of the TC in the UT (LS). It was also revealed to be an active source of GWs. The two warm anomalies of the TC core induced two quasi-diurnal GWs and an intermediate GW mode with a 10-h period. The time evolution of dominant periods could be indicative of changes in TC dynamics. The FormoSat-3/COSMIC (Formosa Satellite Mission-3/Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate) dataset confirmed the presence of GWs with dominant vertical wavelengths of about 3.5 km in the UT and LS.

Numerical weather prediction models tend to underestimate cloud presence and therefore often overestimate global horizontal irradiance (GHI). The assimilation of cloud water path (CWP) retrievals from geostationary satellites using an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) led to improved short-term GHI forecasts of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in midlatitudes in case studies. An evaluation of the method under tropical conditions and a quantification of this improvement for study periods of more than a few days are still missing. This paper focuses on the assimilation of CWP retrievals in three phases (ice, supercooled, and liquid) in a 6-hourly cycling procedure and on the impact of this method on short-term forecasts of GHI for Réunion Island, a tropical island in the southwest Indian Ocean. The multilayer gridded cloud properties of NASA Langley's Satellite ClOud and Radiation Property retrieval System (SatCORPS) are assimilated using the EnKF of the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART) Manhattan release (revision 12002) and the advanced research WRF (ARW) v3.9.1.1. The ability of the method to improve cloud analyses and GHI forecasts is demonstrated, and a comparison using independent radiosoundings shows a reduction of specific humidity bias in the WRF analyses, especially in the low and middle troposphere. Ground-based GHI observations at 12 sites on Réunion Island are used to quantify the impact of CWP DA. Over a total of 44 d during austral summertime, when averaged over all sites, CWP data assimilation has a positive impact on GHI forecasts for all lead times between 5 and 14 h. Root mean square error and mean absolute error are reduced by 4 % and 3 %, respectively.

Many research and societal applications such as surface solar irradiance assessment and forecasting require accurate short-term cloudiness forecasts at kilometre and hourly scales. Today limited-area numerical weather prediction models have the potential to provide such forecasts by simulating clouds at high spatial and temporal resolutions. However, the forecast performance during the first 12-24 h is strongly influenced by the accuracy of the cloud and thermodynamic analyses in the initial conditions. Geostationary meteorological satellites provide valuable observations that can be used in data assimilation for frequent cloud analysis determination. This paper provides an up-to-date review of the state of the art in cloud-related geostationary satellite data assimilation with limited-area models dedicated to improve cloudiness forecast performance. Research and operational studies have been reviewed by differentiating between satellite radiance and cloud property retrieval assimilation. This review gives insight into the best practices considering the large variety of limited-area models, data assimilation methods, satellite sensors and channels, cloud property retrieval products and various methodological challenges. Cloud analysis methods for regional models have become more sophisticated in recent years and are increasingly able to exploit observations from geostationary satellites. Important proofs of concept have been performed in this decade, paving the way for an optimal synergy of geostationary satellite data assimilation and convection-permitting limited-area model forecasts. At the same time, the increasing amount of channels of geostationary satellite instruments leads to more opportunities and challenges for data assimilation methods.

Although the high amount of solar irradiance in the tropics is an advantage for a profitable PV production, the local meteorological conditions induce a very high variability which is problematic for a safe and gainful injection into the power grid. This issue is even more critical in non-interconnected territories where network stability is an absolute necessity and the injection of PV power has to be limited. The basis for precise cloud evolution and subsequent irradiance forecasts are high quality atmospheric analyses for NWP. Geostationary meteorological satellites provide valuable observations of cloud properties with high spatiotemporal resolutions and allow a pertinent data assimilation.The shortcoming is that optical and thermal channels of satellite sensors do not provide cloud properties from inside clouds. Different existing data assimilation approaches aim at deriving atmospheric analyses with most realistic cloud features, utilising geostationary satellite observations. The potential of assimilating satellite-derived cloud information in regional NWP with focus on irradiance forecasts in tropical regions has not been evaluated so far. Hence, the present work aims at evaluating the potential of geostationary satellite data assimilation in limited-area models applied to the French tropical oversea territories Reunion Island and French Guiana.

Results of analysis of meteorological variables (temperature and moisture) in the Australasian region using the global positioning system (GPS) radio occultation (RO) and GPS ground-based observations verified with in situ radiosonde (RS) data are presented. The potential of using ground-based GPS observations for retrieving column integrated precipitable water vapour (PWV) over the Australian continent has been demonstrated using the Australian ground-based GPS reference stations network. Using data from the 15 ground-based GPS stations, the state of the atmosphere over Victoria during a significant weather event, the March 2010 Melbourne storm, has been investigated, and it has been shown that the GPS observations has potential for monitoring the movement of a weather front that has sharp moisture contrast. Temperature and moisture variability in the atmosphere over various climatic regions (the Indian and the Pacific Oceans, the Antarctic and Australia) has been examined using satellite-based GPS RO and in situ RS observations. Investigating recent atmospheric temperature trends over Antarctica, the time series of the collocated GPS RO and RS data were examined, and strong cooling in the lower stratosphere and warming through the troposphere over Antarctica has been identified, in agreement with outputs of climate models. With further expansion of the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) system, it is expected that GNSS satellite- and ground-based measurements would be able to provide an order of magnitude larger amount of data which in turn could significantly advance weather forecasting services, climate monitoring and analysis in the Australasian region.

Coupled balloon-borne observations of Light Optical Aerosol Counter (LOAC), M10 meteorological global positioning system (GPS) sondes, ozonesondes, and GPS radio occultation data, are examined to identify gravity-wave (GW)-induced fluctuations on tracer gases and on the vertical distribution of stratospheric aerosol concentrations during the 2013 ChArMEx (Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment) campaign. Observations reveal signatures of GWs with short vertical wavelengths less than 4 km in dynamical parameters and tracer constituents, which are also correlated with the presence of thin layers of strong local enhancements of aerosol concentrations in the upper troposphere and the lower stratosphere. In particular, this is evident from a case study above Ile du Levant (43.02° N, 6.46° E) on 26–29 July 2013. Observations show a strong activity of dominant mesoscale inertia GWs with horizontal and vertical wavelengths of 370–510 km and 2–3 km respectively, and periods of 10–13 h propagating southward at altitudes of 13–20 km during 27–28 July. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses also show evidence of mesoscale inertia GWs with similar horizontal characteristics above the eastern part of France. Ray-tracing experiments indicate the jet-front system as the main source of observed GWs. Using a simplified linear GW theory, synthetic vertical profiles of dynamical parameters with large stratospheric vertical wind maximum oscillations of ±40 mms−1 are produced for the dominant mesoscale GW observed at heights of 13–20 km. Parcel advection method reveals signatures of GWs in the ozone mixing ratio and the tropospheric-specific humidity. Simulated vertical wind perturbations of the dominant GWs and small-scale perturbations of aerosol concentration (aerosol size of 0.2–0.7 µm) are revealed to be in phase in the lower stratosphere. Present results support the importance of vertical wind perturbations in the GW–aerosol relationship. Observed mesoscale GWs induce a strong modulation of the amplitude of tracer gases and the stratospheric aerosol background.

As an intermittent energy source, the injection of solar power into electricity grids requires irradiance forecasting in order to ensure grid stability. On time scales of more than six hours ahead, numerical weather prediction (NWP) is recognized as the most appropriate solution. However, the current representation of clouds in NWP models is not sufficiently precise for an accurate forecast of solar irradiance at ground level. Dynamical downscaling does not necessarily increase the quality of irradiance forecasts. Furthermore, incorrectly simulated cloud evolution is often the cause of inaccurate atmospheric analyses. In non-interconnected tropical areas, the large amplitudes of solar irradiance variability provide abundant solar yield but present significant problems for grid safety. Irradiance forecasting is particularly important for solar power stakeholders in these regions where PV electricity penetration is increasing. At the same time, NWP is markedly more challenging in tropic areas than in mid-latitudes due to the special characteristics of tropical homogeneous convective air masses. Numerous data assimilation methods and strategies have evolved and been applied to a large variety of global and regional NWP models in the recent decades. Assimilating data from geostationary meteorological satellites is an appropriate approach. Indeed, models converting radiances measured by satellites into cloud properties already exist. Moreover, data are available at high temporal frequencies, which enable a pertinent cloud cover evolution modelling for solar energy forecasts. In this work, we present a survey of different approaches which aim at improving cloud cover forecasts using the assimilation of geostationary meteorological satellite data into regional NWP models. Various approaches have been applied to a variety of models and satellites and in different regions of the world. Current methods focus on the assimilation of cloud-top information, derived from infrared channels. For example, those information have been directly assimilated by modifying the water vapour profile in the initial conditions of the WRF model in California using GOES satellite imagery. In Europe, the assimilation of cloud-top height and relative humidity has been performed in an indirect approach using an ensemble Kalman filter. In this case Meteosat SEVIRI cloud information has been assimilated in the COSMO model. Although such methods generally provide improved cloud cover forecasts in mid-latitudes, the major limitation is that only clear-sky or completely cloudy cases can be considered. Indeed, fractional clouds cause a measured signal mixing cold clouds and warmer Earth surface. If the model’s initial state is directly forced by cloud properties observed by satellite, the changed model fields have to be smoothed in order to avoid numerical instability. Other crucial aspects which influence forecast quality in the case of satellite radiance assimilation are channel selection, bias and error treatment. The overall promising satellite data assimilation methods in regional NWP have not yet been explicitly applied and tested under tropical conditions. Therefore, a deeper understanding on the benefits of such methods is necessary to improve irradiance forecast schemes.