Dynamics of Rocky Mountain lee waves observed during SUCCESS

On two days during SUCCESS, the NASA DC-8 flew carefully designed flight tracks to sample wave clouds downstream of the Rocky mountains. Wave morphology was deduced by applying linear perturbation theory to in-situ measurements of the Meteorological Measurement System (MMS) and remotely sensed isentrope profiles of the Micro-wave Temperature Profiler (MTP). Vertical winds from the MMS were consistent with updraft velocities derived from air parcel displacements estimated from the MTP. Derived wave characteristics and cooling rates are useful inputs to cloud microphysics models.