Remote Sensing of Gravity Wave Intensity and Temperature Signatures at Mesopause Heights Using the Nightglow Emissions
Abstract
During the past four decades a variety of optical remote sensing techniques have revealed a rich spectrum of wave activity in the upper atmosphere. Many of these perturbations, with periodicites ranging from 5 min to several hours and horizontal scales of a few ten's of km to several thousands km, are due to freely propagating buoyancy (or acoustic-gravity waves), and forced tidal oscillations. Optical observations of the spatial and temporal characteristics of these waves in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region (^80-100 km) are facilitated by several naturally occurring, vertically distinct nightglow layers. This paper describes the use of state-of-the-art ground-based CCD imaging techniques to detect these waves in intensity and temperature. All-sky (180') image measurements from Bear Lake Observatory, Utah are used to illustrate the characteristics of small-scale, short period (< 1 hour) waves that are most frequently observed at MLT heights including a particular set of ducted wave motions, possibly associated with mesospheric bores. These results are then contrasted with measurements of mesospheric temperature made using a separate imaging system capable of determining induced temperature amplitudes of much larger-scale wave motions and investigating night-to-night and seasonal variability in mesospheric temperature.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA439109
Entities
People
- M. J. Taylor
- R. H. Picard
- S. H. Seo
- W. R. Pendleton Jr.
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory