Tracy Moffat-Griffin

Science Leader

Team

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Tracy Moffat-Griffin

Science Leader

Biography

I am Science Leader of the Atmosphere, Ice and Climate team and an atmospheric physicist. I work within the Climate Processes group (part of AIC). I have worked at BAS since 2006 and my main area of research is the study of atmospheric gravity waves and tides as a dynamical vertical coupling mechanism in the polar regions. I am also interested in climate change in the polar regions and space weather effects on middle atmosphere circulation.

Current Activities:

I am the lead investigator for the NERC large grant MesoS2D (with colleagues from Bath and Leeds Universities). This project will combine instrument observations and model results to examine variability in the middle atmosphere with an aim to provide a pathway to improved predictability in the middle atmosphere.

I am Co-Investigator on the following projects:

DRIIVE: A NERC funded project which is looking at multi-scale coupling in the ionosphere and how it is influenced both by space weather and the lower atmosphere.

ExtAnt: A NERC funded project (starting early 2024) that will provide the first comprehensive assessment of present day and future high impact extreme weather events in Antarctica, and associated risks.

Previous projects I’ve been involved in recently:

DRAGON-WEX grant (led by colleagues at Bath University) which investigated the role of gravity waves around 60S in driving atmospheric circulation in this region.

SG-WEX (led by colleagues at Bath University) which investigated gravity waves being generated from the small mountainous island of South Georgia.

Committee roles:

I am on the science committee for the ANtarctic Gravity Wave Instrument Network (ANGWIN) which is a SCAR action group looking to study gravity waves across Antarctica using international collaborations.

Antarctic Instrumentation:

I am joint PI for the following instruments:

An all-sky infrared airglow imager located at Rothera (with Prof. Taylor of Utah State University).

An all-sky infrared airglow imager located at Halley (with Dr Corwin Wright of Bath University)

2 airglow spectrometers (Rothera and Halley)

A multi filter airglow imager system at Rothera.

SKiYMET meteor radars located at Rothera and Halley ( Halley radar being deployed 2024/25 season)

I also use radiosonde data, gathered routinely by our meteorologists, to study gravity wave activity in the lower stratosphere.

Career:

2022 – current: Science Leader AIC

2020-2021: Interim Science Leader AIC

2018 – 2020: Deputy Science Leader of AIC

2014 – current: Senior scientist (gravity wave physicist)

2006-2014: Higher scientist (gravity wave physicist)

2001-2005: PhD at University College London: Development and validation of the UCL Martian thermosphere-ionosphere general circulation model

1997-2001: MPhys Physics degree at Warwick University

Research interests

Dynamical coupling in the middle atmosphere with a focus on gravity waves and atmospheric tides.

Climate change in the Polar Regions.

Space weather effects on the dynamics of the middle atmosphere.

Collaborations

Moffat-Griffin, T., A. D. Aylward, W. Nicholson (2007), Thermal structure and dynamics of the Martian upper atmosphere at solar minimum from global circulation model simulations, Annales Geophys., 25, 2147-2158

M. Lopez-Valverde, F. Gonzalez-Galindo, F. Lefevre, S. Lebonnois, T. Moffat, A. D Aylward, and S. Bougher, Inter-comparison of UV radiation models in the Upper Atmosphere of Mars, Conference proceedings, International Mars Atmosphere Workshop, Granada, January 2003

T. Moffat, Developing and Validating the UCL Martian Thermosphere/Ionosphere Global Circulation Model, PhD Thesis, University of London, March 2005

Publications from NERC Open Research Archive

2024

Noble, Phoebe E., Rhode, Sebastian, Hindley, Neil P., Berthelemy, Peter, Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Preusse, Peter, Hoffmann, Lars, Wright, Corwin J.. (2024) Exploring Sources of Gravity Waves in the Southern Winter Stratosphere Using 3-D Satellite Observations and Backward Ray-Tracing. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 129 (). 24 pp. 10.1029/2024JD041294

Dawkins, E.C.M., Janches, D., Stober, G., Carrillo‐Sánchez, J.D., Lieberman, R.S., Jacobi, C., Moffat-Griffin, T. , Mitchell, N.J., Cobbett, N., Batista, P. P., Andrioli, V. F., Buriti, R. A., Murphy, D. J., Kero, J., Gulbrandsen, N., Tsutsumi, M., Kozlovsky, A., Lester, M., Kim, J.‐H., Lee, C., Liu, A., Fuller, B., O’Connor, D., Palo, S. E., Taylor, M. J., Marino, J., Rainville, N.. (2024) Seasonal and Local Time Variation in the Observed Peak of the Meteor Altitude Distributions by Meteor Radars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 129 (). 17 pp. 10.1029/2024JD040978

Stober, Gunter, Vadas, Sharon L., Becker, Erich, Liu, Alan, Kozlovsky, Alexander, Janches, Diego, Qiao, Zishun, Krochin, Witali, Shi, Guochun, Yi, Wen, Zeng, Jie, Brown, Peter, Vida, Denis, Hindley, Neil, Jacobi, Christoph, Murphy, Damian, Buriti, Ricardo, Andrioli, Vania, Batista, Paulo, Marino, John, Palo, Scott, Thorsen, Denise, Tsutsumi, Masaki, Gulbrandsen, Njål, Nozawa, Satonori, Lester, Mark, Baumgarten, Kathrin, Kero, Johan, Belova, Evgenia, Mitchell, Nicholas, Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Li, Na. (2024) Gravity waves generated by the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha′apai volcanic eruption and their global propagation in the mesosphere/lower thermosphere observed by meteor radars and modeled with the High-Altitude general Mechanistic Circulation Model. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 24 (). pp. 10.5194/acp-24-4851-2024

Ramesh, K. , Mitchell, Nicholas J., Hindley, Neil P., Moffat-Griffin, Tracy . (2024) Long‐Term Variability and Tendencies in Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere Winds From Meteor Radar Observations Over Esrange (67.9°N, 21.1°E). Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 129 (). 24 pp. 10.1029/2023JD040404

Narayanan, V.L., Wright, C., Mlynczak, M., Hindley, N., Kavanagh, A. , Moffat-Griffin, T. , Noble, P.. (2024) Observations of mesospheric gravity waves generated by geomagnetic activity. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 129 (). 17 pp. 10.1029/2023JA032157

Noble, Phoebe E., Hindley, Neil P., Wright, Corwin J., Cullens, Chihoko, England, Scott, Pedatella, Nicholas, Mitchell, Nicholas J., Moffat-Griffin, Tracy . (2024) Interannual Variability of Winds in the Antarctic Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere Over Rothera (67°S, 68°W) During 2005–2021 in Meteor Radar Observations and WACCM‐X. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 129 (). 21 pp. 10.1029/2023JD039789

2023

Taylor, Michael, Bossert, Katrina, Collins, Rich, Cullens, Chihoko, Merkel, Aimee, Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Pautet, Pierre-Dominique, Preusse, Peter, Stober, Gunter, Thiemann, Ed, Thurairajah, Brentha, Yuan, Titus, Zhao, Yucheng. (2023) Measurements of gravity wave global distributions and trends in the ITM. Bulletin of the AAS, 55 (). 16 pp. 10.3847/25c2cfeb.2e614f0f

Dawkins, E.C.M., Stober, G., Janches, D., Carrillo‐Sánchez, J.D., Lieberman, R.S., Jacobi, C., Moffat-Griffin, T. , Mitchell, N.J., Cobbett, N., Batista, P.P., Andrioli, V.F., Buriti, R.A., Murphy, D.J., Kero, J., Gulbrandsen, N., Tsutsumi, M., Kozlovsky, A., Kim, J.H., Lee, C., Lester, M.. (2023) Solar Cycle and Long‐Term Trends in the Observed Peak of the Meteor Altitude Distributions by Meteor Radars. Geophysical Research Letters, 50 (). 11 pp. 10.1029/2022GL101953

Mitra, G., Guharay, A., Batista, P.P., Buriti, R.A., Moffat-Griffin, T. . (2023) Investigation on the MLT tidal variability during September 2019 minor sudden stratospheric warming. Advances in Space Research, 71 (). 14 pp. 10.1016/j.asr.2022.08.017

2022

Dempsey, Shaun M., Noble, Phoebe E., Wright, Corwin J., Mitchell, Nicholas J., Moffat-Griffin, Tracy . (2022) Interannual variability of the 12-hour tide in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere in 15 years of meteor-radar observations over Rothera (68° S, 68° W). Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 127 (). 18 pp. 10.1029/2022JD036694

Hindley, Neil P., Cobbett, Neil, Fritts, David C., Janchez, Diego, Mitchell, Nicholas J., Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Smith, Anne K., Wright, Corwin J.. (2022) Radar observations of winds, waves and tides in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere over South Georgia island (54° S, 36° W) and comparison with WACCM simulations. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 22 (). 36 pp. 10.5194/acp-22-9435-2022

Liu, Guiping, Janches, Diego, Ma, Jun, Lieberman, Ruth S., Stober, Gunter, Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Mitchell, Nicholas J., Kim, Jeong‐Han, Lee, Changsup, Murphy, Damian J.. (2022) Mesosphere and lower thermosphere winds and tidal variations during the 2019 Antarctic Sudden Stratospheric Warming. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 127 (). 17 pp. 10.1029/2021JA030177

2021

Iimura, H., Fritts, D.C., Lieberman, R.S., Janches, D., Mitchell, N.J., Franke, S.J., Singer, W., Hocking, W.K., Taylor, M.J., Moffat-Griffin, T. . (2021) Climatology of quasi-2-day wave structure and variability at middle latitudes in the northern and southern hemispheres.. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 221 (). 17 pp. 10.1016/j.jastp.2021.105690

Griffith, M.J., Dempsey, S.M., Jackson, D.R., Moffat-Griffin, T. , Mitchell, N.J.. (2021) Winds and tides of the Extended Unified Model in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere validated with meteor radar observations. Annales Geophysicae, 39 (). 28 pp. 10.5194/angeo-39-487-2021

Wang, J.C., Palo, S.E., Forbes, J.M., Marino, J., Moffat-Griffin, T. , Mitchell, N.J.. (2021) Unusual quasi 10‐day planetary wave activity and the ionospheric response during the 2019 Southern Hemisphere sudden stratospheric warming. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 126 (). pp. 10.1029/2021JA029286

Hindley, N.P., Wright, C.J, Gadian, A.M., Hoffmann, L., Hughes, J.K., Jackson, D.R., King, J.C. , Mitchell, N.J., Moffat-Griffin, T. , Moss, A.C., Vosper, S.B., Ross, A.N.. (2021) Stratospheric gravity waves over the mountainous island of South Georgia: testing a high-resolution dynamical model with 3-D satellite observations and radiosondes.. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 21 (). 28 pp. 10.5194/acp-21-7695-2021

Liu, Guiping, Janches, Diego, Lieberman, Ruth S., Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Mitchell, Nicholas J. , Kim, Jeong‐Han, Lee, Changsup. (2021) Wind variations in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere near 60°S latitude during the 2019 Antarctic sudden stratospheric warming. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 126 (). 11 pp. 10.1029/2020JA028909

Stober, G., Janches, D., Matthias, V., Fritts, D., Marino, J., Moffat-Griffin, T. , Baumgarten, K., Lee, W., Murphy, D., Ha Kim, Y., Mitchell, N. , Palo, S.. (2021) Seasonal evolution of winds, atmospheric tides, and Reynolds stress components in the Southern Hemisphere mesosphere-lower thermosphere in 2019. Annales Geophysicae, 39 (). 29 pp. 10.5194/angeo-39-1-2021

Dempsey, Shaun M., Hindley, Neil P., Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Wright, Corwin J., Smith, Anne K., Du, Jian, Mitchell, Nicholas J. . (2021) Winds and tides of the Antarctic mesosphere and lower thermosphere: One year of meteor-radar observations over Rothera (68°S, 68°W) and comparisons with WACCM and eCMAM. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 212 (). 22 pp. 10.1016/j.jastp.2020.105510

2020

Hindley, N.P., Wright, C.J., Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Mitchell, N.J. . (2020) An 18‐year climatology of directional stratospheric gravity wave momentum flux from 3‐D satellite observations. Geophysical Research Letters, 47 (). 14 pp. 10.1029/2020GL089557

Orr, Andrew , Hosking, J. Scott , Delon, Aymeric, Hoffman, Lars, Spang, Reinhold, Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Keeble, James, Abraham, Nathan Luke, Braesicke, Peter. (2020) Polar stratospheric clouds initiated by mountain waves in a global chemistry-climate model: A missing piece in fully modelling polar stratospheric ozone depletion. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 20 (). 15 pp. 10.5194/acp-20-12483-2020

Moffat-Griffin, T. , Colwell, S.R., Wright, C.J., Hindley, N.P., Mitchell, N.J.. (2020) Radiosonde observations of a wintertime meridional convergence of gravity waves around 60°S in the lower stratosphere. Geophysical Research Letters, 47 (). 8 pp. 10.1029/2020GL089740

Liu, Guiping, Janches, Diego, Lieberman, Ruth S., Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Fritts, David C., Mitchell, Nicholas J.. (2020) Coordinated Observations of 8‐ and 6‐hr Tides in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere by Three Meteor Radars Near 60°S Latitude. Geophysical Research Letters, 47 (). pp. 10.1029/2019GL086629

2019

Hindley, Neil P., Wright, Corwin J., Smith, Nathan D., Hoffman, Lars, Holt, Laura A., Alexander, M. Joan, Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Mitchell, Nicholas J.. (2019) Gravity waves in the winter stratosphere over the Southern Ocean: high-resolution satellite observations and 3-D spectral analysis.. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 19 (). pp. 10.5194/acp-19-15377-2019

Zhao, Yucheng, Taylor, M.J., Pautet, P.-D., Moffat-Griffin, T. , Hervig, M.E., Murphy, D.J., French, W.J.R., Liu, H.L., Pendleton, W.R., Russell III, J.M.. (2019) Investigating an unusually large 28-day oscillation in mesospheric temperature over Antarctica using ground-based and satellite measurements. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 124 (). pp. 10.1029/2019JD030286

Martinis, C., Baumbardner, J., Mendillo, M., Taylor, M., Moffat-Griffin, T. , Wroten, J., Sullivan, C., Macinnis, R., Alford, B., Nishimura, Y.. (2019) First ground-based conjugate observations of Stable Auroral Red (SAR) Arcs. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 124 (). pp. 10.1029/2018JA026017

Moffat-Griffin, Tracy . (2019) An introduction to atmospheric gravity wave science in the polar regions and first results from ANGWIN.. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 124 (). pp. 10.1029/2019JD030247

Macotela, Edith L, Clilverd, Mark , Manninen, Jyrki, Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Newnham, David A. , Raita, Tero, Rodger, Craig J. (2019) D-region high latitude forcing factors. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 124 (). pp. 10.1029/2018JA026049

2018

Jackson, D.R., Gadian, A., Hindley, N.P., Hoffmann, L., Hughes, J., King, J. , Moffat-Griffin, T. , Moss, A.C., Ross, A.N., Vosper, S.B., Wright, C.J., Mitchell, N.J.. (2018) The South Georgia Wave Experiment (SG-WEX) – a means for improved analysis of gravity waves and low-level wind impacts generated from mountainous islands. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 99 (). pp. 10.1175/BAMS-D-16-0151.1

2017

Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Wright, Corwin, Moss, Andrew, King, John , Colwell, Steve, Hughes, John, Mitchell, Nicholas. (2017) The South Georgia Wave Experiment (SG-WEX): Radiosonde observations of gravity waves in the lower stratosphere. Part 1: Energy density, momentum flux and wave propagation direction. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 143 (). pp. 10.1002/qj.3181

Matsuda, Takashi S., Nakamura, Takuji, Ejiri, Mitsumu K, Tsutsumi, Masaki, Tomikawa, Yoshihiro, Taylor, Michael J., Zhao, Yucheng, Pautet, P.-Dominique, Murphy, Damian J., Moffat-Griffin, Tracy . (2017) Characteristics of mesospheric gravity waves over Antarctica observed by Antarctic Gravity Wave Instrument Network imagers using 3-D spectral analyses. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 122 (). pp. 10.1002/2016JD026217

Moffat-Griffin, T. , Colwell, S.R.. (2017) The characteristics of the lower stratospheric gravity wave field above Halley (75°S, 26°W), Antarctica, from radiosonde observations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 122 (). pp. 10.1002/2017JD027079

Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Taylor, Mike J., Nakamura, Takuji, Kavanagh, Andrew J. , Hosking, J. Scott , Orr, Andrew . (2017) 3rd ANtarctic Gravity Wave Instrument Network (ANGWIN) science workshop. Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, 34 (). pp. doi:10.1007/s00376-016-6197-5

2016

Newnham, D.A. , Ford, G.P., Moffat-Griffin, T.A. , Pumphrey, H.C.. (2016) Simulation study for measurement of horizontal wind profiles in the polar stratosphere and mesosphere using ground-based observations of ozone and carbon monoxide lines in the 230–250 GHz region. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 9 (). pp. 10.5194/amt-9-3309-2016

2013

Moffat-Griffin, T. , Jarvis, M.J., Colwell, S.R., Kavanagh, A.J. , Manney, G.L., Daffer, W.H.. (2013) Seasonal variations in lower stratospheric gravity wave energy above the Falkland Islands. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 118 (). pp. 10.1002/jgrd.50859

Snively, J. B., Nielsen, K., Hickey, M. P., Heale, C. J., Taylor, M. J., Moffat-Griffin, T. . (2013) Numerical and statistical evidence for long-range ducted gravity wave propagation over Halley, Antarctica. Geophysical Research Letters, 40 (). pp. doi:10.1002/grl.50926

Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Lester, Mark, Freeman, Mervyn . (2013) From atmosphere to space: a new scientific frontier. Astronomy & Geophysics, 54 (). pp. doi:10.1093/astrogeo/att079

2011

Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Hibbins, Robert E. , Jarvis, Martin J., Colwell, Steve R.. (2011) Seasonal variations of gravity wave activity in the lower stratosphere over an Antarctic Peninsula station. Journal of Geophysical Research, 116 (). 10 pp. 10.1029/2010JD015349

2010

Clilverd, Mark A. , Rodger, Craig J., Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Spanswick, Emma, Breen, Paul , Menk, Frederick W., Grew, Russell S., Hayashi, Kanji, Mann, Ian R.. (2010) Energetic outer radiation belt electron precipitation during recurrent solar activity. Journal of Geophysical Research, 115 (). 14 pp. 10.1029/2009JA015204

Lam, Mai Mai , Horne, Richard B. , Meredith, Nigel P. , Glauert, Sarah A. , Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Green, Janet C.. (2010) Origin of energetic electron precipitation >30 keV into the atmosphere. Journal of Geophysical Research, 115 (). 15 pp. 10.1029/2009JA014619

Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Hibbins, Robert E. , Jarvis, Martin. (2010) Calibrating an imaging riometer: determination of the true beam azimuth angle position. Radio Science, 45 (). 10 pp. 10.1029/2009RS004340

2008

Moffat-Griffin, T. , Hibbins, R.E. , Nielsen, K., Jarvis, M.J., Taylor, M.J.. (2008) Observing mesospheric gravity waves with an imaging riometer.. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 70 (). pp. doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2008.04.009

Clilverd, M.A. , Rodger, C.J., Brundell, J.B., Bahr, J., Cobbett, N., Moffat-griffin, T. , Kavanagh, A.J., Seppala, A., Thomson, N.R., Friedel, R.H.W., Menk, F.W.. (2008) Energetic electron precipitation during substorm injection events: high-latitude fluxes and an unexpected midlatitude signature. Journal of Geophysical Research, 113 (). 12 pp. 10.1029/2008JA013220

2007

Clilverd, Mark , Rodger, Craig, Moffat-Griffin, Tracy , Verronen, Pekka. (2007) Improved dynamic geomagnetic rigidity cutoff modeling: testing predictive accuracy. Journal of Geophysical Research, 112 (). 13 pp. doi:10.1029/2007JA012410

Research outputs

Tracy Moffat-Griffin

Team

General enquiries

Tracy Moffat-Griffin

Biography

Research interests

Collaborations

Publications from NERC Open Research Archive

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2013

2011

2010

2008

2007

2022

2018

2016