Watch invisible waves rumble through the atmosphere - NCAR high-resolution computer modeling

For the first time, scientists have simulated what gravity waves look like as they ripple upward through the atmosphere. Related story: UPDATE: (10/23/2015) The below caption has been edited to reflect the correct elevation of the winds shown in the second half of the video. This visualization was created on the Yellowstone system at the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center using a high-resolution version of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM). It shows meridional (north-south) winds at two heights. Part 1 shows winds at Earth’s surface, where gravity waves usually have only regional impacts. Part 2 shows winds at an elevation of 90 km (about 56 miles), where their influence can become dominant. The video simulations cover a three-day period when a hypothetical tropical cyclone was present off the east coast of Australia. ©UCAR Simulations courtesy Hanli Liu, NCAR