Correlative Dynamics Studies Using the Weber Sodium Lidar and Associated Instrumentation at the ALOMAR Observatory

摘要

This contract supported continuing use of the Weber lidar for dynamics studies in the mesosphere, thermosphere, and ionosphere. The system performed well at the onset of this research, but we spent some resources on continuing improvements in the stability and 'user-friendliness'. Major measurement efforts during the summer 2002 and winter 2003 MaCWAVE rocket and ground-based measurement campaigns yielded extensive data sets that consumed the majority of our analysis resources. Results revealed a highly active and variable summer mesopause environment, with large wave amplitudes, extreme temperature and wind gradients, strong turbulence and mixing, and pronounced differences from previous or following years. It was determined that these differences arose from unusual planetary wave forcing prior to the southern hemisphere stratospheric warming having dynamical influences at high northern latitudes. Winter data revealed a similarly active environment exhibiting strong tidal motions, gravity wave filtering by mean winds, and strong temporal variability. Related theoretical efforts contributed a new, complete dispersion relation that allows computation of wave influences to very high altitudes and an assessment of solar influences on these dynamics. We expect our results to be especially relevant to AFOSR interests in wave coupling to altitudes well into the thermosphere and ionosphere.