THE EFFECT OF GRAVITY-WAVES ON THE GLOBAL MEAN TEMPERATURE AND COMPOSITION STRUCTURE OF THE UPPER-ATMOSPHERE

Formulas are presented that parameterize the heating rate and coeffici ent of turbulent heat conduction produced by saturated internal gravit y waves (IGW) in the upper atmosphere. Estimates of these values are m ade using observational data. The parameterization of IGW influences a re introduced into a one-dimensional model of global mean thermal and composition balances of the upper atmosphere. Computations are perform ed for different values of IGW energy fluxes entering into the upper a tmosphere from below. It is shown that realistic vertical profiles of the global mean temperature can be obtained using different values of IGW energy flux into the upper atmosphere. Increasing the IGW intensit y leads not only to an increase of the heating rate due to wave energy dissipation, but also to an increase in the coefficient of turbulent heat conduction and cooling rate produced by turbulence generated by t he wave. So, near an altitude of 100 km the main part of solar heating is compensated by infrared cooling on one hand, and the main part of wave dissipation heating is compensated by turbulent cooling on the ot her hand. These quasi-balances generally hold for different values of IGW intensity.