Global excitation of wave phenomena in a dissipative multiconstituent medium. I - Transfer function of the earth's thermosphere. II - Impulsive perturbations in the earth's thermosphere

A transfer function approach is taken in constructing a spectral model of the acoustic-gravity wave response in a multiconstituent thermosphere. The model is then applied to describing the thermospheric response to various sources around the globe. Zonal spherical harmonics serve to model the horizontal variations in propagating waves which, when integrated with respect to height, generate a transfer function for a vertical source distribution in the thermosphere. Four wave components are characterized as resonance phenomena and are associated with magnetic activity and ionospheric disturbances. The waves are either trapped or propagate, the latter becoming significant when possessing frequencies above 3 cycles/day. The energy input is distributed by thermospheric winds. The disturbances decay slowly, mainly due to heat conduction and diffusion. Gravity waves appear abruptly and are connected to a sudden switching on or off of a source. Turn off of a source coincides with a reversal of the local atmospheric circulation.