Extreme concentric gravity waves observed in the mesosphere and thermosphere regions over southern Brazil associated with fast-moving severe thunderstorms

Li, Qinzeng; Xu, Jiyao; Zhu, Yajun; Wrasse, Cristiano M.; Bageston, José V.; Yuan, Wei; Liu, Xiao; Liu, Weijun; Wen, Ying; Li, Hui; Liu, Zhengkuan

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-9719-2025

Articles | Volume 25, issue 17

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-9719-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-9719-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 25, issue 17

Research article

|

03 Sep 2025

Research article |

| 03 Sep 2025

Extreme concentric gravity waves observed in the mesosphere and thermosphere regions over southern Brazil associated with fast-moving severe thunderstorms

Qinzeng Li, Jiyao Xu, Yajun Zhu, Cristiano M. Wrasse, José V. Bageston, Wei Yuan, Xiao Liu, Weijun Liu, Ying Wen, Hui Li, and Zhengkuan Liu

Data sets

Estudo e Monitoramento Brasileiro do Clima Espacia - EMBRACE/INPE EMBRACE http://www2.inpe.br/climaespacial/portal/en

Algorithm stability and the long-term geospace data record from TIMED/SABER (http://saber.gats-inc.com/data.php) M. G. Mlynczak et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL102398

ERA5 hourly data on pressure levels from 1940 to present H. Hersbach et al. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.bd0915c6

A Closer Look at the ABI on the GOES-R Series (https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/airs-web/search) T. J. Schmit et al. https://doi.org/10.1175/bams-d-15-00230.1

AIRS/Aqua L1B Infrared (IR) geolocated and calibrated radiances V005 AIRS project https://doi.org/10.5067/YZEXEVN4JGGJ

Suomi satellite brings to light a unique frontier of nighttime environmental sensing capabilities (https://www.aev.class.noaa.gov/saa/products/welcome;jsessionid=C3562F228661BE845B176C9AE2714AE6) S. D. Miller et al. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1207034109

Video supplement

Extreme mesospheric concentric gravity waves from OH airglow observations over Southern Brazil Q. Li https://doi.org/10.5446/69990

Thermospheric concentric gravity waves from OI 630 nm airglow observations over Southern Brazil Q. Li https://doi.org/10.5446/69989

Fast-moving severe thunderstorms over Southern Brazil from GOES-16 observations Q. Li https://doi.org/10.5446/69993

Short summary

This study explores intense concentric gravity waves (CGWs) based on ground-based and multi-satellite observations over southern Brazil, revealing significant airglow perturbations and strong momentum release. Triggered by deep convection and enabled by weaker wind fields, these CGWs reached the mesopause and thermosphere. Consistent detection via OI and OH airglow emissions confirms their vertical propagation, while asymmetric thermosphere propagation is linked to Doppler-induced wavelength changes.