Planetary waves in coupling the lower and upper atmosphere

The purpose of the paper is to answer the question if planetary waves (PW) are capable of propagating into the thermosphere. First the simplest vertical structure equation of the classic tidal theory accounting for a realistic vertical temperature profile is considered. Analysis and simulation show that the well-known normal atmospheric modes (NM), which are trapped in the lower and middle atmosphere, exhibit a wave-like vertical structure with a large vertical wavelength in the thermosphere. Moreover, the reflection of these modes from the vertical temperature gradient in the lower thermosphere causes appearance of the wave-energy upward flux in the middle atmosphere, and in a linearized formulation this flux is constant above the source region. To investigate a possibility of the NM forcing by stratospheric vacillations and to consider the propagation of different PW up to the heights of the upper thermosphere, a set of runs with a mechanistic Middle and Upper Atmosphere Model has been performed. The results of the simulation show that quasi-stationary and longer-period PW are not able to penetrate into the thermosphere. The shorter-period NM and ultra-fast Kelvin wave propagate up to the heights of the lower thermosphere. However, above about 150 km they are strongly suppressed by dissipative processes. The role of the secondary waves (nonmigrating tides) arising from nonlinear interaction between the primary migrating tides and quasi-stationary PW is discussed. We conclude that PW are not capable of propagating directly up to the heights of the ionospheric F2 region. It is suggested that other physical processes (for instance, the electrostatic field perturbations) have to be taken into account to explain the observed PW-like structures in ionospheric parameters.     

On the 18-day quasi-periodic oscillation in the ionosphere

The presence and persistence of an 18-day quasi-periodic oscillation in the ionospheric electron density variations were studied. The data of lower ionosphere (radio-wave absorption at equivalent frequency near 1 MHz), middle and upper ionosphere (critical frequencies f₀E and f₀F2) for the period 1970–1990 have been used in the analysis. Also, solar and geomagnetic activity data (the sunspot numbers Rz and solar radio flux F10.7 cm, and a_N index respectively) were used to compare the time variations of the ionospheric with the solar and geomagnetic activity data. Periodogram, complex demodulation, auto- and cross-correlation analysis have been used. It was found that 18-day quasi-periodic oscillation exists and persists in the temporal variations of the ionospheric parameters under study with high level of correlation and mean period of 18–19 days. The time variation of the amplitude of the 18-day quasi-periodic oscillation in the ionosphere seems to be modulated by the long-term solar cycle variations. Such oscillations exist in some solar and geomagnetic parameters and in the planetary wave activity of the middle atmosphere. The high similarities in the amplitude modulation, long-term amplitude variation, period range between the oscillation of investigated parameters and the global activity of oscillation suggests a possible solar influence on the 18-day quasi-periodic oscillation in the ionosphere.     

Modeling the Effect of Mesospheric Internal Gravity Waves in the Thermosphere and Ionosphere During the 2009 Sudden Stratospheric Warming

The results of numerical experiments on the modeling of thermospheric and ionospheric disturbances under conditions of sudden stratospheric warming are presented to study the possible mechanisms of such disturbances. Local disturbances caused by a planetary wave with zonal wave number s = 1 and internal gravity waves (IGWs) propagating from the disturbed region in the stratosphere are taken into account as sources of disturbances. It is shown that the inclusion of an additional source of thermospheric disturbances caused by mesospheric variations of atmospheric parameters with IGW periods over the region of sudden stratospheric warming leads to significant changes in the parameters of the thermosphere and ionosphere, including a change in the global structure of the distributions of the gas components of the thermosphere and a shift in maximum concentrations of atomic oxygen to low latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere; there is an increase in the mean values, the diurnal and semidiurnal variations of the ion concentration in the F region of the ionosphere. These features of changes in the parameters of the thermosphere and ionosphere occurred with insignificant disturbances of tidal variations in the thermosphere.     

Propagation of Stationary Planetary Waves in the Upper Atmosphere under Different Solar Activity

Numerical modeling of changes in the zonal circulation and amplitudes of stationary planetary waves are performed with an accounting for the impact of solar activity variations on the thermosphere. A thermospheric version of the Middle/Upper Atmosphere Model (MUAM) is used to calculate the circulation in the middle and upper atmosphere at altitudes up to 300 km from the Earth’s surface. Different values of the solar radio emission flux in the thermosphere are specified at a wavelength of 10.7 cm to take into account the solar activity variations. The ionospheric conductivities and their variations in latitude, longitude, and time are taken into account. The calculations are done for the January–February period and the conditions of low, medium, and high solar activity. It was shown that, during high-activity periods, the zonal wind velocities increases at altitudes exceeding 150 km and decreases in the lower layers. The amplitudes of planetary waves at high solar activity with respect to the altitude above 120 km or below 100 km, respectively, are smaller or larger than those at low activity. These differences correspond to the calculated changes in the refractive index of the atmosphere for stationary planetary waves and the Eliassen–Palm flux. Changes in the conditions for the propagation and reflection of stationary planetary waves in the thermosphere may influence the variations in their amplitudes and the atmospheric circulation, including the lower altitudes of the middle atmosphere.     

Mesospheric planetary wave effects on global PMC variability inferred from AIM–CIPS and TIMED–SABER for the northern summer 2007 PMC season

Polar Mesospheric Cloud (PMC) observations from the Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument on the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) spacecraft are used to investigate the role of planetary wave activity on global PMC variability in the summer polar mesosphere during the 2007 Northern hemisphere season. This is coupled with an analysis of contemporaneous measurements of atmospheric temperature by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument onboard the Thermosphere–Ionosphere–Mesosphere–Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) spacecraft to characterize the importance of temperature as a dominant forcing mechanism of the dynamical state of the summer polar mesosphere. The study confirms results from a recent study using PMC data from the Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE) and temperature data from SABER, such that planetary wave activity is present in both PMCs and mesospheric temperature and that are strongly coherent and anti-correlated. The dominant wave present in the polar summer mesosphere in both PMCs and temperature is the 5-day wavenumber 1 Rossby normal mode. The maximum amplitude of the variation of the 5-day wave in temperature is small at 3 K but has a significant effect on PMC albedo. The phase relationship between PMC and temperature is variable between 150° and 180° out of phase, with PMC albedo reaching a maximum ～10 h before the minimum in temperature. We have identified two additional waves, the westward propagating 2-day wavenumber 2 (2DW2) and the eastward propagating 2-day wavenumber 1 (2DE1) are both present in PMC and temperature variability in the 2007 NH season. The 2DW2 wave is consistent with a Rossby normal mode excited by the instability in the zonal mean zonal wind. However, the source of the 2DE1 wave could be a nonlinear interaction of the 2DW2 with the migrating diurnal tide. This is the first time these two wave features have been detected in coincident PMC and temperature measurements. Analysis of the zonal variation of PMC occurrence and temperature shows they are also anti-correlated and supporting the conclusion that temperature is an important forcing mechanism in zonal variability.     

Variability of the mesospheric wind field at middle and Arctic latitudes in winter and its relation to stratospheric circulation disturbances

Continuous wind observations allow detailed investigations of the upper mesosphere circulation in winter and its coupling with the lower atmosphere. During winter the mesospheric/lower thermospheric wind field is characterized by a strong variability. Causes of this behaviour are planetary wave activity and related stratospheric warming events. Reversals of the dominating eastward directed mean zonal winds in winter to summerly westward directed winds are often observed in connection with stratospheric warmings. In particular, the amplitude and duration of these wind reversals are closely related to disturbances of the dynamical regime of the upper stratosphere.The occurrence of long-period wind oscillations and wind reversals in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere in relation to planetary wave activity and circulation disturbances in the stratosphere has been studied for 12 winters covering the years 1989–2000 on the basis of MF radar wind observations at Juliusruh (55°N, since 1989) and Andenes (69°N, since 1998). Mesospheric wind oscillations with long-periods between 10 and 18 days are observed during the presence of enhanced planetary wave activity in the stratosphere and are combined with a reversal of the meridional temperature gradient of the stratosphere or with upper stratospheric warmings.     

Planetary waves observed by TIMED/SABER in coupling the stratosphere–mesosphere–lower thermosphere during the winter of 2003/2004: Part 2—Altitude and latitude planetary wave structure

Part 2 of the present paper is focused on the planetary wave coupling from the stratosphere to the lower thermosphere (30–120 km) during the Arctic winter of 2003/2004. The planetary waves seen in the TIMED/SABER temperature data in the latitudinal range 50°N–50°S are studied in detail. The altitude and latitude structures of the planetary wave (stationary and travelling) clearly indicate that the stratosphere and mesosphere (30–90 km) are coupled by direct vertical propagation of the planetary waves, while the lower thermosphere (above 90–95 km altitude) is only partly connected with the lower levels probably indirectly through in-situ generation of disturbances by the dissipation and breaking of gravity waves filtered by lower atmospheric planetary waves. A peculiar feature of the thermal regime in the lower thermosphere is that it is dominated by zonally symmetric planetary waves.     

Effects on the Ionosphere Due to Phenomena Occurring Below it

The terrestrial thermosphere and ionosphere form the most variable part of theEarth's atmosphere. Because our society depends on technological systems thatcan be affected by thermospheric and ionospheric phenomena, understanding,monitoring and ultimately forecasting the changes of the thermosphere–ionosphere system are of crucial importance to communications, navigation and the exploration of near-Earth space. The reason for the extreme variability of the thermosphere–ionosphere system isits rapid response to external forcing from various sources, i.e., thesolar ionizing flux, energetic charged particles and electric fields imposed via the interaction between the solar wind, magnetosphere and ionosphere, as well as coupling from below (meteorological influences) by the upward propagating, broad spectrum,internal atmospheric waves (planetary waves, tides, gravity waves) generated in thestratosphere and troposphere. Thunderstorms, typhoons, hurricanes, tornadoes andeven seismological events may also have observable consequences in the ionosphere.The release of trace gases due to human activity have the potential to cause changes inthe lower and the upper atmosphere.A brief overview is presented concerning the discoveries and experimentalresults that have confirmed that the ionosphere is subject to meteorologicalcontrol (especially for geomagnetic quiet conditions and for middle latitudes).D-region aeronomy, the winter anomaly of radiowave absorption, wave-liketravelling ionospheric disturbances, the non-zonality and regional peculiaritiesof lower thermospheric winds, sporadic-E occurrence and structure, spread-Fevents, the variability of ionospheric electron density profiles and Total ElectronContent, the variability of foF2, etc., should all be considered in connection withtropospheric and stratospheric processes. Ionospheric weather, as a part of spaceweather, (i.e., hour-to-hour and day-to-day variability of the ionospheric parameters)awaits explanation and prediction within the framework of the climatological, seasonal,and solar-cycle variations.     

Day-by-day modelling of the ionospheric F2-layer for year 2002

The thermosphere–ionosphere–mesosphere-electrodynamics general circulation model (TIME-GCM) has been run for the year 2002. Its version 1.2 features include day-by-day input of solar irradiance, geomagnetic energy input parameterized by the 3-h Kp index, and global lower boundary conditions from the National Centres for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) data. In addition, it includes tidal forcing from the global-scale wave model (GSWM) and parameterized gravity waves from below. The computed day-by-day values of noon peak electron density NmF2 agree well with ionosonde data for five northern sites and two southern mid-latitude sites, and closely follow the day-by-day modelled concentration ratio of atomic oxygen to molecular nitrogen. Seasonal and hemispheric patterns appear in the model with some, though not full, success. The model's day-to-day patterns show an impressive degree of variability, with simulations of total variability both above and below those observed.     

Traveling planetary waves in the stratosphere

This paper reviews the theory and observations of some traveling planetary waves in the stratosphere. Two categories of waves which appear prominently in the literature are discussed: westward propagating waves of periods in the range 3–7 days (the 5-day wave) and in the range 10–20 days (the 16-day wave). Although the observations seem to indicate that these waves are waves of the Rossby type (planetary waves), the evidence is less clear regarding (1) the question of whether these waves are forced internal waves or free (resonant) external waves, and (2) the identification of the observed waves with specific theoretical waves of the Rossby type. When recent observations are compared with theory, the evidence seems to favor the notion that the 5-day and 16-day waves of longitudinal wave number 1 may be identified, respectively, with the gravest and next gravest symmetric free Rossby modes. However, the observational evidence seems to be less clear regarding the nature of the 16-day wave than the 5-day wave.     

Ionospheric behavior over Europe during the solar eclipse of 3 October 2005

An annular eclipse occurred over Europe in the morning hours of 3 October 2005. The well-defined obscuration function of the solar radiation during the eclipse provided a good opportunity to study the ionospheric/thermospheric response to solar radiation changes. Since the peak electron density behavior of the ionospheric F2 layer follows the local balance of plasma production, loss and transport, the ionospheric plasma redistribution processes significantly affect the shape of the electron density profile. These processes are discussed here based on a comparison of vertical incidence sounding (VS) and vertical total electron content (TEC) data above-selected ionosonde stations in Europe. The equivalent slab thickness, derived with a time resolution of 10 min, provides relatively good information on the variation of the electron density profile during the eclipse. The computations reveal an increased width of the ionosphere around the maximum phase. As indicated by the available measurements over Spain, the photo production is significantly reduced during the event leading to a slower increase of the total ionization in comparison with the neighboring days. The supersonic motion of the Moon's cool shadow through the atmosphere may generate atmospheric gravity waves that propagate upward and are detectable as traveling ionospheric disturbances at ionospheric heights. High-frequency (HF) Doppler shift spectrograms were recorded during the eclipse showing a distinct disturbance along the eclipse path. Whereas the ionosonde measurements at the Ebro station/Spain in the vicinity of the eclipse path reveal the origin of the wave activity in the lower thermosphere below about 180 km altitude, the similar observations at Pruhonice/Czech Republic provide arguments to localize the origin of the abnormal waves in the middle atmosphere well below the ionospheric heights. Although ionosonde and HF Doppler measurements show enhanced wave activity, the TEC data analysis does not, which is an indication that the wave amplitudes are too small for detecting them via this interpolation method. The total ionization reduces up to about 30% during the event. A comparison with similar observations from the solar eclipse of 11 August 1999 revealed a quite different ionospheric behavior at different latitudes, a fact that needs further investigation.     

The features and a possible mechanism of semiannual variation in the peak electron density of the low latitude F2 layer

Ionospheric data observed in 30 stations located in 3 longitude sectors (East Asia/Australia Sector, Europe/Africa Sector and America/East Pacific Ocean Sector) during 1974–1986 are used to analyse the characteristics of semiannual variation in the peak electron density of F2 layer (NmF2). The results indicate that the semiannual variation of NmF2 mainly presents in daytime. In nighttime, except in the region of geomagnetic equator between the two crests of ionospheric equatorial anomaly, NmF2 has no obvious semiannual variation. In the high latitude region, only in solar maxima years and in daytime, there are obvious semiannual variations of NmF2. The amplitude distribution of the semiannual variation of daytime NmF2 with latitude has a “double-humped structure”, which is very similar to the ionospheric equatorial anomaly. There is asymmetry between the Southern and the Northern Hemispheres of the profile of the amplitude of semiannual variation of NmF2 and longitudinal difference. A new possible mechanism of semiannual variation of NmF2 is put forward in this paper. The semiannual variation of the diurnal tide in the lower thermosphere induces the semiannual variation of the amplitude of the equatorial electrojet. This causes the semiannual variation of the amplitude of ionospheric equatorial anomaly through fountain effect. This process induces the semiannual variation of the low latitude NmF2.     

Time and spatial variations in the ratio of nighttime and daytime critical frequencies of the F 2 layer

The ratio of daytime and nighttime values of the foF2 critical frequency is analyzed on the basis of the data of 28 ionospheric stations in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is found that three types of time variations in this ratio are observed after 1980: an increase with time (a positive trend), a decrease with time (a negative trend), and the absence of pronounced changes (a zero trend). The sign of this trend is shown to be governed by the signs of the magnetic declination D and magnetic inclination I at the given ionospheric station. This fact makes it possible to assume that the above trend is caused by long-term variations in the zonal component V _ny of the horizontal wind in the thermosphere, the latter component contributing into the vertical drift velocity W. The causes of the systematic changes in the thermospheric circulation regime after 1980 are still unknown; however, it is quite probable that they are related to anthropogenic changes in the atmosphere.     

Controlled injection of high-power radio pulses into the ionosphere-magnetosphere system and appearance of microsubstorms on October 2, 2007

Insignificant geomagnetic disturbances, which originated during the experimental injection of high-power radio pulses into the magnetosphere-ionosphere system with the help of an HF transmitter of the Sura heating facility, are considered. The experiment was performed at 1840–1900 UT on October 2, 2007 (～2100 MLT) at geomagnetic latitudes close to the zone of generation of the current wedge westward branch, responsible for geomagnetic substorms. The series of two magnetic microsubstorms, with a sudden initial pulse and an insignificant delay relative to the facility switching, was observed at 1840–2000 UT. A disturbance was registered at many stations in the Northern Hemisphere as a global event. The equivalent ionospheric current system of an initial pulse was similar to such a system of the westward auroral surge and had an intensity maximum at Karpogory magnetic observatory, which is the closest station to the Sura facility. Under the conditions of a quiet solar wind and low planetary geomagnetic activity, the AE auroral index correlated with the interplanetary medium parameters (the correlation coefficient reached 0.65) at 1710–2000 UT. It has been confirmed that an initial geomagnetic pulse is generated as a result of radiowave injection. The arguments for and against the generation of microsubstorms due to stimulated precipitation of magnetospheric electrons, as well as the assumption that the geoeffective impact of the interplanetary medium is intensified during the injection of high-power radiowaves near the zone where the westward branch of the current wedge of magnetospheric substorms is generated, are considered.     

Planetary wave coupling (5–6-day waves) in the low-latitude atmosphere–ionosphere system

Vertical coupling in the low-latitude atmosphere–ionosphere system driven by the 5-day Rossby W1 and 6-day Kelvin E1 waves in the low-latitude MLT region has been investigated. Three different types of data were analysed in order to detect and extract the ∼6-day wave signals. The National Centres for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) geopotential height and zonal wind data at two pressure levels, 30 and 10 hPa, were used to explore the features of the ∼6-day waves present in the stratosphere during the period from 1 July to 31 December 2004. The ∼6-day wave activity was identified in the neutral MLT winds by radar measurements located at four equatorial and three tropical stations. The ∼6-day variations in the ionospheric electric currents (registered by perturbations in the geomagnetic field) were detected in the data from 26 magnetometer stations situated at low latitudes. The analysis shows that the global ∼6-day Kelvin E1 and ∼6-day Rossby W1 waves observed in the low-latitude MLT region are most probably vertically propagating from the stratosphere. The global ∼6-day W1 and E1 waves seen in the ionospheric electric currents are caused by the simultaneous ∼6-day wave activity in the MLT region. The main forcing agent in the equatorial MLT region seems to be the waves themselves, whereas in the tropical MLT region the modulated tides are also of importance.     

耗散大气中水平不均匀风场对内重力波传播的影响

采用包括耗散的射线跟踪方法，计算了在水平不均匀风场作用下，不同尺度重力波从对流层直至220km观测高度的传播，结果表明，垂直于重力波传播方向的风以及风剪切能够引起波射线的折射，从而导致重力波明显偏离初始传播方向.在强顺风场作用下，由于风场引起的捕获，大量重力波不能传播到观测高度.由于风场引起的多普勒频移，小周期的重力波在弱顺风条件下能够传播到观测高度.由于反射作用，强逆风场不支持周期低于约18min的较高频重力波的传播.而在弱逆风作用下，大部分中尺度范围重力波都能够传播到观测高度.本文统计了武汉电离层观象台的TID观测数据随热层风场的分布，统计结果与模拟结果符合较好.     

Planetary distribution of geomagnetic pulsations during a geomagnetic storm at solar minimum

We investigate the features of the planetary distribution of wave phenomena (geomagnetic pulsations) in the Earth’s magnetic shell (the magnetosphere) during a strong geomagnetic storm on December 14–15, 2006, which is untypical of the minimum phase of solar activity. The storm was caused by the approach of the interplanetary magnetic cloud towards the Earth’s magnetosphere. The study is based on the analysis of 1-min data of global digital geomagnetic observations at a few latitudinal profiles of the global network of ground-based magnetic stations. The analysis is focused on the Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations, whose frequencies fall in the band of 1.5–7 mHz (T ～ 2–10 min), on the fluctuations in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and in the solar wind density in this frequency band. It is shown that during the initial phase of the storm with positive IMF Bz, most intense geomagnetic pulsations were recorded in the dayside polar regions. It was supposed that these pulsations could probably be caused by the injection of the fluctuating streams of solar wind into the Earth’s ionosphere in the dayside polar cusp region. The fluctuations arising in the ionospheric electric currents due to this process are recorded as the geomagnetic pulsations by the ground-based magnetometers. Under negative IMF Bz, substorms develop in the nightside magnetosphere, and the enhancement of geomagnetic pulsations was observed in this latitudinal region on the Earth’s surface. The generation of these pulsations is probably caused by the fluctuations in the field-aligned magnetospheric electric currents flowing along the geomagnetic field lines from the substorm source region. These geomagnetic pulsations are not related to the fluctuations in the interplanetary medium. During the main phase of the magnetic storm, when fluctuations in the interplanetary medium are almost absent, the most intense geomagnetic pulsations were observed in the dawn sector in the region corresponding to the closed magnetosphere. The generation of these pulsations is likely to be associated with the resonance of the geomagnetic field lines. Thus, it is shown that the Pc5 pulsations observed on the ground during the magnetic storm have a different origin and a different planetary distribution.     

Temperature disturbances in the subauroral lower thermosphere during winter stratospheric warming

Irregular variations in the temperature of the subauroral lower thermosphere during the winter stratospheric warming, which began in the first decade of December 2001 and continued to the end of the observational season (February 19, 2002), have been analyzed. The temperature measurements were based on the thermal broadening of the 557.7 nm oxygen emission measured during moonless nights at Maimaga optical station in the vicinity of Yakutsk (?=63°N, λ=129.7° E) using the Fabry-Pérot spectrometer. Isolated fragments of the map of contour lines of the horizontal temperature field and the globally averaged height-time section of the temperature at the levels of the 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 50, and 70 hPa isobaric surfaces, obtained by the NOAA Meteorological Satellite Systems, as well as the F _10.7 and Ap indices have been used to analyze the cause-effect relation between the variations in the temperature of the subauroral lower thermosphere and winter stratospheric warming events. It is shown that, when warming is detected at heights of the lower thermosphere, the temperature can become higher than its model values by up to 20 K, which indicates that the planetary waves can penetrate to heights of the lower thermosphere and then propagate downward. In this case the atmosphere cools at heights of the lower thermosphere and tends to heat up above 10 hPa and to cool below 30 and 50 hPa; i.e., we observe the well-known fact of vertical alternation of cold and warm atmospheric regions detected during winter stratospheric warming events.     

Dynamics of the large-scale ULF electromagnetic wave structures in the ionosphere

The present article displays the results of theoretical investigation of the planetary ultra-low-frequency (ULF) electromagnetic wave structure, generation and propagation dynamics in the dissipative ionosphere. These waves are stipulated by a spatial inhomogeneous geomagnetic field. The waves propagate in different ionospheric layers along the parallels to the east as well as to the west and their frequencies vary in the range of (10–10⁻⁶) s⁻¹ with a wavelength of order 10³ km. The fast disturbances are associated with oscillations of the ionospheric electrons frozen in the geomagnetic field. The large-scale waves are weakly damped. They generate the geomagnetic field adding up to several tens of nanotesla (nT) near the Earth's surface. It is prescribed that the planetary ULF electromagnetic waves preceding their nonlinear interaction with the local shear winds can self-localize in the form of nonlinear long-living solitary vortices, moving along the latitude circles westward as well as eastward with a velocity different from the phase velocity of the corresponding linear waves. The vortex structures transfer the trapped particles of medium, as well as energy and heat. That is why such nonlinear vortex structures can be the structural elements of the ionospheric strong macro-turbulences.     

Seasonal variation of non-migrating semidiurnal tide in the polar MLT region in a general circulation model

Behavior of semidiurnal tides in the north and south polar MLT regions simulated by Middle Atmosphere Circulation Model at Kyushu University is described. Summertime enhancement of westward propagating semidiurnal tide with zonal wavenumber s=1 is found, which is consistent with the observed result at the South Pole (Ann. Geophys. 16 (1998) 828). Additional numerical simulations show that the non-migrating semidiurnal tide is mainly generated by the nonlinear interactions between stationary planetary waves with zonal wavenumber s=1 and the migrating semidiurnal tide in the stratosphere and mesosphere as suggested by Forbes et al. (Geophys. Res. Lett. 22(23) (1995) 3247).