Multi-point observation of short-period mesospheric gravity waves over Japan during the FRONT campaign

Simultaneous observations of short-period gravity waves were carried out us ing three all-sky cooled-CCD imagers of OH airglow at Moshiri (northern edg e of Japan) and at Shigaraki and Bisei (middle part of Japan) during the FR ONT campaign of May 1998. These stations were separated by horizontal dista nces of 250 - 1300 km, and they offered a unique opportunity to investigate the spatial extent of gravity waves in the mesopause region. The images fr om Shigaraki and Bisei showed short-period gravity waves (horizontal wavele ngth: 20-40 km, phase front: similar to east-west aligned) moving northward (phase velocity: 20-40 m/s) on May 19, 21 and 22. At Moshiri, similar east -west waves moving northward were observed on May 19 and 21, indicating a b road horizontal extent of the gravity waves. Waves at Moshiri were not evid ent on May 22, however. The horizontal wind measured by the MF radar at Wak kanai (near Moshiri) showed height profiles that were similar to those at Y amagawa (southern edge of Japan) on May 10 and 21 but quite dissimilar oil May 22. On the basis of these data, we suggest that short-period gravity wa ves in the mesopause region carl have a I,road spatial extent of more than 1000 km. The generation and propagation of internal gravity waves are discu ssed as a cause of the spatial extent of thc waves.