First studies of mesosphere and lower thermosphere dynamics using a multistatic specular meteor radar network over southern Patagonia

Abstract. Recent observations of the polar mesosphere have revealed that waves with periods near two days reach significant amplitudes in both summer and winter. This is in striking contrast to mid-latitude observations where two-day waves maximise in summer only. Here, we use data from a meteor radar at Esrange (68° N, 21° E) in the Arctic and data from the MLS instrument aboard the EOS Aura satellite to investigate the wintertime polar two-day wave in the stratosphere, mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The radar data reveal that mesospheric two-day wave activity measured by horizontal-wind variance has a semi-annual cycle with maxima in winter and summer and equinoctial minima. The MLS data reveal that the summertime wave in the mesosphere is dominated by a westward-travelling zonal wavenumber three wave with significant westward wavenumber four present. It reaches largest amplitudes at mid-latitudes in the southern hemisphere. In the winter polar mesosphere, however, the wave appears to be an eastward-travelling zonal wavenumber two, which is not seen during the summer. At the latitude of Esrange, the eastward-two wave reaches maximum amplitudes near the stratopause and appears related to similar waves previously observed in the polar stratosphere. We conclude that the wintertime polar two-day wave is the mesospheric manifestation of an eastward-propagating, zonal-wavenumber-two wave originating in the stratosphere, maximising at the stratopause and likely to be generated by instabilities in the polar night jet.

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Characteristics of the quasi-16-day wave in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere region as revealed by meteor radar, Aura satellite, and MERRA2 reanalysis data from 2008 to 2017

Earth and Planetary Physics ◽

10.26464/epp2020033 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 274-284

Author(s):

Yun Gong ◽

◽

Zheng Ma ◽

Chun Li ◽

XieDong Lv ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lower Thermosphere ◽

Reanalysis Data ◽

Meteor Radar ◽

Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere

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Mesospheric gravity wave activity estimated via airglow imagery, multistatic meteor radar, and SABER data taken during the SIMONe–2018 campaign

10.5194/acp-2020-896 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Fabio Vargas ◽

Jorge L. Chau ◽

Harikrishnan Charuvil Asokan ◽

Michael Gerding

Keyword(s):

Gravity Waves ◽

Momentum Flux ◽

Large Scale ◽

Lower Thermosphere ◽

Small Scale ◽

Meteor Radar ◽

Mean Flow ◽

Horizontal Scale ◽

Momentum Fluxes ◽

Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere

Abstract. We describe in this study the analysis of small and large horizontal scale gravity waves from datasets composed of images from multiple mesospheric nightglow emissions as well as multistatic specular meteor radar (MSMR) winds collected in early November 2018, during the SIMONe–2018 campaign. These ground-based measurements are supported by temperature and neutral density profiles from TIMED/SABER satellite in orbits near Kühlungsborn, northern Germany (54.1° N, 11.8° E). The scientific goals here include the characterization of gravity waves and their interaction with the mean flow in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere and their relationship to dynamical conditions in the lower and upper atmosphere. We obtain intrinsic parameters of small and large horizontal scale gravity waves and characterize their impact in the mesosphere region via momentum flux and flux divergence estimations. We have verified that a small percent of the detected wave events are responsible for most of the momentum flux measured during the campaign from oscillations seen in the airglow brightness and MSMR winds. From the analysis of small-scale gravity waves in airglow images, we have found wave momentum fluxes ranging from 0.38 to 24.74 m2/s2 (0.88 ± 0.73 m2/s2 on average), with a total of 586.96 m2/s2 (sum over all 362 detected waves). However, small horizontal scale waves with flux > 3 m2/s2 (11 % of the events) transport 50 % of the total measured flux. Likewise, wave events having flux > 10 m2/s2 (2 % of the events) transport 20 % of the total flux. The examination of two large-scale waves seen simultaneously in airglow keograms and MSMR winds revealed relative amplitudes > 35 %, which translates into momentum fluxes of 21.2–29.6 m/s. In terms of gravity wave–mean flow interactions, these high momentum flux waves could cause decelerations of 22–41 m/s/day (small-scale waves) and 38–43 m/s/day (large-scale waves) if breaking or dissipating within short distances in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere region. The dominant large-scale waves might be the result of secondary gravity excited from imbalanced flow in the stratosphere caused by primary wave breaking.

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Special Structures of Sodium Layer Observed in the Daytime Over Beijing, China

EPJ Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/epjconf/202023704005 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 237 ◽

pp. 04005

Author(s):

Yuan Xia ◽

Guotao Yang ◽

Jihong Wang ◽

Xuewu Cheng ◽

Faquan Li

Keyword(s):

Signal To Noise Ratio ◽

Lower Thermosphere ◽

Meteor Radar ◽

Diurnal Cycles ◽

Dual Channel ◽

Sodium Layer ◽

Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere ◽

Beijing China ◽

Observation Results ◽

Mlt Region

In this paper the observation of sodium (Na) layer in mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region over complete diurnal cycles based on broadband Na lidar at Yanqing Station, Beijing, China (40.5°N,116°E ) was reported. Faraday filters with dual-channel design were used in the lidar receiving unit to suppress the strong background light in the daytime, which allow observation of Na layer with an acceptable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) under sunlit condition. Several special structures of Na layer observed in the daytime was discussed. The simultaneous continuous observation of zonal wind by meteor radar was presented for comparison. These observation results can provide direct and reliable supports for the study of mesopause dynamics and solar effect on Na layer.

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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

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-15631 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Shaun M Dempsey ◽

Neil Hindley ◽

Tracy Moffat-Griffin ◽

Corwin Wright ◽

Anne Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Planetary Wave ◽

Lower Thermosphere ◽

Model Development ◽

Small Variation ◽

Meteor Radar ◽

Tidal Amplitude ◽

Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere ◽

One Year ◽

The Antarctic

<p>Tides are crucially important to the dynamics of the MLT. Therefore, models which aim to span the whole atmosphere must be capable of reproducing these tides, making observations of tides vital to constrain model development. Here, we present a novel climatology of 12- and 24-hour tides, measured at heights of 80&#8211;100 km by a meteor radar over the Rothera Station, Antarctica (68&#176;S, 68&#176;W). We use these observations to test two GCMs: WACCM and eCMAM (the latter 24-hr only). Our observations reveal large-amplitude tides with strong seasonal variability. The 12-hour tide maximises around the equinoxes and the smaller-amplitude 24-hour tide maximises in summer.<span>&#160; </span>WACCM reproduces 12-hour tidal amplitudes at 80 km well, but not their increase with height or equinoctial maxima, and reproduces the observed small variation in 24-hr tidal amplitude with height well but with anomalously-large amplitudes. eCMAM reproduces observed 24-hr tidal amplitudes and their small variation with height. Our observations also reveal sizeable day-to-day variability in tidal amplitude at planetary wave periods, which we suggest originates from non-linear tidal/planetary-wave coupling. Furthermore, we see notable differences between observed and model background winds which are not reproduced in the models; we propose these differences may arise from the lack of in-situ gravity-wave sources in the models.</p>

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Seasonal variability of atmospheric tides in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere and lower thermosphere: meteor radar data and simulations

10.5194/angeo-2018-17-rc1 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Anonymous

Keyword(s):

Seasonal Variability ◽

Lower Thermosphere ◽

Radar Data ◽

Atmospheric Tides ◽

Meteor Radar ◽

Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere

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The ultra-fast Kelvin waves in the equatorial ionosphere: observations and modeling

Annales Geophysicae ◽

10.5194/angeo-31-209-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 209-215 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

A. N. Onohara ◽

I. S. Batista ◽

H. Takahashi

Keyword(s):

Lower Thermosphere ◽

Equatorial Ionosphere ◽

Equatorial Region ◽

South American ◽

Meteor Radar ◽

Vertical Coupling ◽

Wave Characteristics ◽

E Region ◽

Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere ◽

Mlt Region

Abstract. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the vertical coupling between the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region and the ionosphere through ultra-fast Kelvin (UFK) waves in the equatorial atmosphere. The effect of UFK waves on the ionospheric parameters was estimated using an ionospheric model which calculates electrostatic potential in the E-region and solves coupled electrodynamics of the equatorial ionosphere in the E- and F-regions. The UFK wave was observed in the South American equatorial region during February–March 2005. The MLT wind data obtained by meteor radar at São João do Cariri (7.5° S, 37.5° W) and ionospheric F-layer bottom height (h'F) observed by ionosonde at Fortaleza (3.9° S; 38.4° W) were used in order to calculate the wave characteristics and amplitude of oscillation. The simulation results showed that the combined electrodynamical effect of tides and UFK waves in the MLT region could explain the oscillations observed in the ionospheric parameters.

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