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.     

Modeling the responses of the middle latitude ionosphere to solar flares

In this paper, we investigate the solar flare effects of the ionosphere at middle latitude with a one-dimensional ionosphere theoretical model. The measurements of solar irradiance from the SOHO/Solar EUV Monitor (SEM) and GOES satellites have been used to construct a simple time-dependent solar flare spectrum model, which serves as the irradiance spectrum during solar flares. The model calculations show that the ionospheric responses to solar flares are largely related to the solar zenith angle. During the daytime most of the relative increases in electron density occur at an altitude lower than 300 km, with a peak at about 115 km, whereas around sunrise and sunset the strongest ionospheric responses occur at much higher altitudes (e.g. 210 km for a summer flare). The ionospheric responses to flares in equinox and winter show an obvious asymmetry to local midday with a relative increase in total electron content (TEC) in the morning larger than that in the afternoon. The flare-induced TEC enhancement increases slowly around sunrise and reaches a peak at about 60 min after the flare onset.     

Atmosphere and Earth's rotation

The theoretical aspects of the transfer of angular momentum between atmosphere and Earth are treated with particular emphasis on analytical solutions. This is made possible by the consequent usage of spherical harmonics of low degree and by the development of large-scale atmospheric dynamics in terms of orthogonal wave modes as solutions of Laplace's tidal equations.An outline of the theory of atmospheric ultralong planetary waves is given leading to analytical expressions for the meridional and height structure of such waves. The properties of the atmospheric boundary layer, where the exchange of atmospheric angular momentum with the solid Earth takes place, are briefly reviewed. The characteristic coupling time is the Ekman spin-down time of about one week.The axial component of the atmospheric angular momentum (AAM), consisting of a pressure loading component and a zonal wind component, can be described by only two spherical functions of latitude : the zonal harmonicP ₂ ⁰ (), responsible for pressure loading, and the spherical functionP ₁ ¹ () simulating supperrotation of the zonal wind. All other wind and pressure components merely redistributeAAM internally such that their contributions toAAM disappear if averaged over the globe. It is shown that both spherical harmonics belong to the meridional structure functions of the gravest symmetric Rossby-Haurwitz wave (0, –1)^*. This wave describes retrograde rotation of the atmosphere within the tropics (the tropical easterlies), while the gravest symmetric external wave mode (0, –2) is responsible for the westerlies at midlatitudes. Applying appropriate lower boundary conditions and assuming that secular angular momentum exchange between solid Earth and atmosphere disappears, the sum of both waves leads to an analytical solution of the zonal mean flow which roughly simulates the observed zonal wind structure as a function of latitude and height. This formalism is used as a basis for a quantitative discussion of the seasonal variations of theAAM within the troposphere and middle atmosphere.Atmospheric excitation of polar motion is due to pressure loading configurations, which contain the antisymmetric functionP ₂ ¹ () exp(i) of zonal wavenumberm=1, while the winds must have a superrotation component in a coordinate system with the polar axis within the equator. The Rossby-Haurwitz wave (1, –3)^* can simulate well the atmospheric excitation of the observed polar motion of all periods from the Chandler wobble down to normal modes with periods of about 10 days. Its superrotation component disappears so that only pressure loading contributes to polar motion.The solar gravitational semidiurnal tidal force acting on the thermally driven atmospheric solar semidiurnal tidal wave can accelerate the rotation rat of the Earth by about 0.2 ms per century. It is speculated that the viscous-like friction of the geomagnetic field at the boundary between magnetosphere and solar wind may be responsible for the westward drift of the dipole component of the internal geomagnetic field. Electromagnetic or mechanical coupling between outer core and mantle may then contribute to a decrease of the Earth's rotation rate.     

Variability of equatorial ionospheric electron density at fixed heights below the F2 peak

A study on variability of the equatorial ionosphere was carried out at fixed heights below the F2 peak for two different levels of solar activity. The study covered height range of 100 km up to the peak of F2 layer using a real height step increase of 10 km. The variability index used is the percentage ratio of standard deviation over the average value for the month. Daytime minimum variability of between 3% and 10% was observed at height range of about 150–210 km during low solar activity and between 2% and 7% at height range of 160–220 km during high solar activity. The nighttime maximum of between 70% and 187% was observed at height range of about 210–250 km during low solar activity and between 42% and 127% at height range of 210–250 km during high solar activity. The height range at which daytime minimum was observed falls within the F1 height of the ionosphere. The result obtained is consistent with previous works carried out in the low latitude locations for American sector.     

The zonal E×B plasma drift effects on the low latitude ionosphere electron density at solar minimum near equinox

The F2-layer peak density, NmF2, and peak altitude, hmF2, which were observed by 12 ionospheric sounders during the 20 September 1964 geomagnetically quiet time period at solar minimum are compared with those calculated by the three-dimensional time-dependent theoretical model of the Earth's low and middle latitude ionosphere and plasmasphere. The modeled NmF2 are also compared with those measured during the geomagnetically quiet time periods of 12–15, 18–21, and 26 September 1964 to take into account observed day-to-day ionospheric variability. Major features of the data are reproduced by the model if the corrected HWM90 neutral wind is used. The changes in NmF2 due to the zonal E×B plasma drift are found to be less than 20% in the daytime low latitude ionosphere. The model, which does not take into account the zonal E×B plasma drift, underestimates night-time NmF2 up to the maximum factor of 2 at low geomagnetic latitudes. The night-time increase of NmF2 caused by the zonal E×B plasma drift is less pronounced at −20° and 20° geomagnetic latitudes in comparison with that between −10° and 10° geomagnetic latitude. The longitude dependence of the calculated night-time low latitude influence of the zonal E×B plasma drift on NmF2 is explained in terms of the longitudinal asymmetry in B (the eccentric magnetic dipole is displaced from the Earth's center and the Earth's eccentric tilted magnetic dipole moment is inclined with respect to the Earth's rotational axis), and the variations of the wind induced plasma drift and the meridional E×B plasma drift in geomagnetic longitude. The difference between the hmF2 values calculated by including the effect of zonal E×B drift and that obtained when it is excluded does not exceed 19 km in the low latitude ionosphere. Over the geomagnetic equator the zonal E×B plasma drift produces the maximum increase in the electron density by a factor of 1.06–1.48 and 1.05–1.30 at 700 and 1000 km altitude, respectively, and this increase is not significant above about 1500 km. Changes in the vertical electron content, VEC, caused by the zonal E×B plasma do not exceed 16% during the day, while the value of the night-time VEC is increased up to a factor of 1.4 due to this drift. The maximum effects of the zonal E×B plasma drift on the night-time electron density derived from the model results corresponding to solar minimum and maximum are quite comparable.     

Seasonal variation of the auroral E-region neutral wind for different solar activities

Seasonal variations in the auroral E-region neutral wind for different solar activity periods are studied. This work is based on neutral wind data obtained over 56 days between 95–119 km altitude under geomagnetic quiet conditions (A_p<16) during one solar cycle by the European Incoherent Scatter radar located in northern Scandinavia. In general, the meridional mean wind shifts northward, and the zonal mean wind increases in eastward amplitude from winter to summer. The zonal mean wind blows eastward in the middle and lower E-region for each season and for each solar condition except for the equinox, where the zonal mean wind blows westward at and below 104 km. Solar activity dependence of the mean wind exists during the winter and equinox seasons, while in summer it is less prominent. Under high solar activity conditions, the altitude profiles of the horizontal mean winds in winter and the equinoxes tend to resemble those in summer. The horizontal diurnal tide is less sensitive to solar activity except during summer when the meridional amplitude increases by ∼10 m s⁻¹ and the corresponding phase shifts to a later time period (1–2 h) during high solar activity. Seasonal dependence of the semidiurnal tide is complex, but is found to vary with solar activity. Under low solar activity conditions the horizontal semidiurnal amplitude shows seasonal dependence except at upper E-region heights, while under high solar activity conditions it becomes less sensitive to seasonal effects (except for the meridional component above 107 km). Comparisons of mean winds with LF and UARS observations are made, and the driving forces for the horizontal mean winds are discussed for various conditions.     

Configuration of the upper boundary of the ionosphere

Variations of the upper boundary of the ionosphere (UBI) are investigated based on three sources of information: (i) ionosonde-derived parameters: critical frequency foF2, propagation factor M3000F2, and sub-peak thickness of the bottomside electron density profile; (ii) total electron content (TEC) observations from signals of the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites; (iii) model electron densities of the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI^*) extended towards the plasmasphere. The ionospheric slab thickness is calculated as ratio of TEC to the F2 layer peak electron density, NmF2, representing a measure of thickness of electron density profile in the bottomside and topside ionosphere eliminating the plasmaspheric slab thickness of GPS-TEC with the IRI^* code. The ratio of slab thickness to the real thickness in the topside ionosphere is deduced making use of a similar ratio in the bottomside ionosphere with a weight Rw. Model weight Rw is represented as a superposition of the base-functions of local time, geomagnetic latitude, solar and magnetic activity. The time-space variations of domain of convergence of the ionosphere and plasmasphere differ from an average value of UBI at ∼1000 km over the earth. Analysis for quiet monthly average conditions and during the storms (September 2002, October–November 2003, November 2004) has shown shrinking UBI altitude at daytime to 400 km. The upper ionosphere height is increased by night with an ‘ionospheric tail’ which expands from 1000 km to more than 2000 km over the earth under quiet and disturbed space weather. These effects are interposed on a trend of increasing UBI height with solar activity when both the critical frequency foF2 and the peak height hmF2 are growing during the solar cycle.     

A solar pattern in the longest temperature series from three stations in Europe

We analyze the longest temperature series from Prague, Bologna and Uccle. We partition daily minimum and maximum temperatures and their differences in two subsets as a function of high vs low solar activity, using the superimposed epochs method. Differences display patterns with significant amplitudes and time constants ～3 months. These are recognized in all stations and are stable against a change in the analyzed period. Amplitude of variations is ～1 °C. Differences between average annual values corresponding to high vs low activity periods are also ～1 °C. Solar activity may account for these long-term temperature variations. These variations also present local characteristics, which may render identification of a global correlation delicate. We discuss possible physical mechanisms by which solar variation could force climate changes (e.g. through solar activity itself, the EUV part of the solar flux, cosmic rays, the downward ionosphere-earth current density, etc.).     

Variations of daytime and nighttime electron temperature and heat flux in the upper ionosphere,topside ionosphere and lower plasmasphere for low and high solar activity

A database of the electron temperature (T_e) comprising of most of the available LEO satellite measurements is used for studying the solar activity variations of T_e. The T_e data are grouped for two levels of solar activity (low LSA and high HSA), five altitude ranges between 350 and 2000 km, and day and night. By fitting a theoretical expression to the T_e values we obtain variation of T_e along magnetic field lines and heat flux for LSA and HSA. We have found that T_e increases with increase in solar activity at low and mid-latitudes during nighttime at all altitudes studied. During daytime the T_e response to solar activity depends on latitude, altitude, and season. This analysis shows existence of anti-correlation between T_e and solar activity at mid-latitudes below 700 km during the equinox and winter day hours. Heat fluxes show small latitudinal dependence for daytime but substantial for nighttime.     

Empirical model of the OI 630 nm emission variations. 3. Emitting layer height

The empirical model of variations in the emitting layer height and parameters has been developed based on an analysis of the rocket measurements of the vertical distributions in the 630 nm intensity. The dependences on the solar zenith angle during a day are most substantial. This dependence is responsible for the character of seasonal variations at different latitudes. The height of the emitting layer increases with increasing solar activity, reflecting a temperature rise in the upper atmosphere. The negative trend—0.35 km yr^?1 in the interval 1964–1990—has been revealed.     

A statistical analysis of longitudinal dependences of upper thermospheric zonal winds at dip equator latitudes derived from CHAMP

New observations, obtained by the accelerometer onboard the CHAMP satellite, reveal a detailed picture of the thermospheric zonal wind. Based on three years of data (2002–2004) we have studied the longitudinal dependence of the zonal delta wind (deviations from the zonal average) at the dip equator. The large number of passes ($\sim$33 750) allows to consider several aspects of the wind characteristics at the same time. For this analysis we derived the longitudinal variation of the zonal delta wind at about 400 km altitude and investigated its dependence on solar flux, magnetic activity, and season. Major longitudinal dependences are confined to the morning hours, 03-09 local time (LT). The amplitude of the delta wind is approximately proportional to the latitudinal displacement of the magnetic dip equator from the geographic equator. The direction of the delta wind reverses sign between the June and December Solstices. During Equinox seasons these large scale features are almost absent. The flux level of solar EUV has no significant influence on the longitudinal variations. A dependence on magnetic activity could only be found during the post-sunset hours, 18-21 LT. Performing a Fourier transform of our delta wind velocities revealed a dominance of the wavenumber 4 in the Equinox data at some LT sectors. The wave-4 structure is a prevailing feature in the slowly precessing satellite frame, which has been recently reported, e.g. in nonmigrating tidal temperature measurements of the SABER instrument on the TIMED satellite in the Mesosphere Lower Thermosphere (MLT) region. Therefore, this statistical study of zonal wind longitudinal dependences provides new observational evidence for the coupling of the various atmospheric layers by nonmigrating tides.     

Characteristics of the semidiurnal tide in the MLT over Maui (20.75°N, 156.43°W) with meteor radar observations

Semidiurnal tidal features have been examined in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT) from the long-term (2002–2007) meteor wind data over Maui (20.75°N, 156.43°W). Amplitude and phase obtained from the harmonic analysis exhibit large day to day variability. Mean amplitude obtained from the monthly mean data over the observation period is found to vary within ～8–28 m/s and 10–32 m/s for the zonal and meridional winds, respectively. The amplitude has revealed clear semiannual oscillation (SAO) pattern with maxima during solstices and altitudinal growth in both wind components. Significant resemblance in its variability with other observations carried out from the low latitude sites all over the globe is obtained. Vertical wavelength estimated from the phase gradients exposes large values (>90 km) in all seasons. Contribution of the semidiurnal tide to the total tidal variability in the MLT is found to vary over wide range throughout the year with generally higher influence during winter season over diurnal and terdiurnal components.     

Mechanisms of stratification of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">F</Emphasis>2 layer and formation of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">F</Emphasis>3 and <Emphasis Type="Italic">G</Emphasis> layers in the equatorial ionosphere

The paper is dedicated to the studies of formation mechanisms of additional layers in the equatorial ionosphere carried out using numerical simulations with use of the Global Self-Consistent Model of the Thermosphere, Ionosphere, and Protonosphere (GSM TIP) modified in the part of the solution of the electric field equation in the Earth’s ionosphere. Calculations were preformed for quiet geomagnetic conditions using the MSIS-90 model for the calculation of thermospheric parameters. The obtained spatio-temporal pattern of thermospheric circulation and the variations in the dynamo electric field obtained on its basis make it possible to reproduce the stratification effect of the F2 layer and the appearance of the F3 layer in the equatorial ionosphere due to the action of the nonuniform in height zonal electric field at the geomagnetic equator. On the basis of the earlier presented results of calculations using the modified GSM TIP model, the appearance of a maximum in the vertical profile of the electron density at a height of ∼1000 km formed by H+ ions, which we called the G layer, has been predicted. Numerical simulations showed that this layer is formed by the meridional component of the thermospheric wind and is related to the formation of the nighttime midlatitude maximum at heights of the ionospheric F region.     

On the maintenance of the axisymmetric part of the flow in the atmosphere

Summary The maintenance of the axisymmetric component of the flow in the atmosphere is investigated by means of a steady-state, quasi-geostrophic formulation of the meteorological equations. It is shown that the meridional variations in the time-averaged axisymmetric variables can be expressed as the sum of three contributions, one being due to the eddy heat transport, another to the eddy momentum transport, and a third to the convective-radiative equilibrium temperature which enters the problem through the specification of a Newtonian form of diabatic heating. The contributions by the large scale eddies are evaluated through the use of observed values for the eddy heat and momentum transports.The contributions from each of the three forcing mechanisms to the temperature and zonal wind fields are invstigated individually and found to be of about equal importance. The sum of the three contributions are also presented for the temperature, the zonal wind, the stream function associated with the mean meridional circulation and the corresponding vertical motion. Although the results fail to reproduce the main observed features of the lower stratosphere, they are found to be in good agreement with observations in the middle latitude troposphere. At any pressure level, for example, the computed mean zonal wind has a jet-like profile and the axis of the jet is found to slope to the south with height, as observed in the atmosphere.Based in part on a thesis submitted by the first author as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree at the University of Michigan. — Publication No. 194 from the Department of Meteorology and Oceanography, The University of Michigan.     

Die Veränderungen der maximalen Elektronenproduktion und die ionisierende Strahlung imF-Gebiet in Abhängigkeit von der Sonnenaktivität

Summary The existence of temperature gradients and temperature variations in the heigh atmosphere change in a big rate the linear dependence between the variation of the maximal electron production in theF1 layer and the relative sunspot number is shown. The variations of the intensity of the ionizing source extremely with the increase of the solar activity. In order to obtain sensible data is necessary to use only the mean of the penetration frequency ofF1 layer in the midday hours of the summer season.     

Modeling the temperature of the polar mesopause region: Part I—Inter-annual and long-term variations generated by the stratospheric QBO

We present results from the Numerical Spectral Model (NSM), which focus on the temperature environment of the mesopause region where polar mesospheric clouds (PMC) form. The PMC occur in summer and are observed varying on time scales from months to years, and the NSM describes the dynamical processes that can generate the temperature variations involved. The NSM simulates the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), which dominates the zonal circulation of the lower stratosphere at equatorial latitudes. The modeled QBO extends into the upper mesosphere, due to gravity wave (GW) filtering, consistent with UARS zonal wind and TIMED temperature measurements. While the QBO zonal winds are confined to equatorial latitudes, the associated temperature variations extend to high latitudes. The meridional circulation redistributes the QBO energy—and the resulting temperature oscillations away from the equator produce inter-annual variations that can exceed 5 K in the polar mesopause region, with considerable differences between the two hemispheres. The NSM shows that the 30-month QBO produces a 5-year or semi-decadal (SD) oscillation, and stratospheric NCEP data provide observational evidence for that. This SD oscillation extends in the temperature to the upper mesosphere, where it could contribute to the long-term variations of the region.     

Analyses of zonal atmospheric excitation functions and their correlation with polar motion excitation functions

The atmospheric influence on the Earths, rotation can be described by the effective atmospheric angular momentum (EAAM) functions. In this study we focus on the analysis of short period variations of the equatorial components of the zonal EAAM excitation functions ₁ and ₂ and their influence on similar variations of polar motion. The global objective analysis data of the Japanese Meteorological Agency for the period 1986–1992 were used to compute the EAAM excitation functions in different latitude belts. Time- and latitude-variable amplitude spectra of variations of these functions with periods shorter than 150 days, containing pressure, pressure with the inverted barometric correction, and wind terms were computed. The spectra show distinct latitude and time variations of the prograde and retrograde oscillations which reach their maxima mainly in mid-latitudes. Prograde and retrograde oscillations with periods of about 40–60 days and about 110–120 days are seen in the spectra of pressure terms of the equatorial components of the zonal EAAM excitation functions. Additionally, correlation coefficients and cross-spectra between variations of the geodetic polar motion and equatorial components of the zonal EAAM excitation functions were computed to identify the latitude belts of the globe over which atmospheric circulation changes are correlated mostly with short period variations of the polar motion excitation functions. The correlation coefficients vary in time and latitude and reach maximum values in the northern latitudes from 50°N to 60°N. In the cross-spectra between the polar motion excitation functions and pressure terms of the zonal EAAM excitation functions there are peaks of common prograde oscillations with the periods around 20, 30, 40–50, 60 and 80–150 days and of common retrograde oscillations around 20, 30, 40 and 50–70 days.Paper presented at the IERS Workshop in Paris, March 1994     

Equivalent gravity modes—An interim evaluation

Abstract

The behavior of the main solar semidiurnal tidal mode in a dissipative atmosphere is studied both in a rotating spherical atmosphere and by means of the equivalent gravity mode approximation. The former involves the neumerical solution of a two dimensional partial differential equation which (due to the presence of friction) is non-separable. The latter involves approximating the tidal mode at the equator by means of an internal gravity wave on a non-rotating plane; this approximation has been used extensively in earlier studies of the behavior of atmospheric tides in the thermosphere where viscosity assumes dominant importance. In the present study, dissipation is modelled by Newtonian cooling and Rayleigh. friction, both of which are taken to increase inversely with mean density. Coefficients are chosen to crudely simulate the effects of molecular viscosity and conductivity. The results of this study provide an opportunity to evaluate the equivalent gravity mode formalism. Our main findings are:

(i) Below 130 km, where friction is unimportant, equivalent gravity mode results are, for all practical purposes, identical to those at the equator obtained from a spherical calculation.

(ii) Above 130 km amplitudes over the equator obtained from the spherical calculation are about 30% smaller than those obtained from the equivalent gravity mode calculations. Also, there is a 15°xs (½ hour) difference in phase.

(iii) The amplitude reduction over the equator, cited above, is associated with a broadening of the latitude distribution of amplitude for the oscillatory pressure and temperature fields within the thermosphere. There is also a significant variation of phase with latitude within the thermosphere. Associated with the above variations are significant changes in the latitude distribution of horizontal velocity within the thermosphere.     

Reaction of the critical frequency of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">F</Emphasis>2 layer to a sharp depletion in atmospheric pressure

Changes in the critical frequencies of the F2 layer at several midlatitude stations of ionospheric vertical sounding during a sharp depletion in atmospheric pressure under quiet solar and geomagnetic conditions are analyzed. It is shown that in such periods, the observed foF2 values differ from the mean values by approximately 10–15% and the deviations from the mean could be both negative (in the daytime hours) and positive (at night). Such variations in foF2 could be referred to the known class of ionospheric disturbances observed under a quiet geomagnetic situation, that is, to the so-called “Q-disturbances.” Analysis of wavelet spectra of foF2 variations shows the presence in the F region of oscillations of various periods (from 0.5 to 10 days). The decrease in the amplitude of daily variations during pressure depletion is found. Presumably, the observed effect is caused by the dynamic impact of waves formed in the lower atmosphere on the ionospheric F2 layer.     

On the solar/QBO effect on the interannual variability of total ozone and the stratospheric circulation over Northern Europe

Based on total ozone data from the World Ozone Data Center and stratospheric geopotential height data from the Meteorological Institute of Berlin Free University for the months of January through March for the time period of 1958–1996, the influence of the 11-year solar cycle and the equatorial quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) on total ozone and the stratospheric circulation at 30 hPa over Northern Europe is investigated. The analysis is performed for different levels of solar activity. The relationship of the equatorial QBO with ozone and the stratospheric circulation over the study region exhibits unique features attributed to strong opposite connections between the equatorial zonal wind and ozone/stratospheric dynamics during periods of solar minimum and maximum. Using the Solar/QBO effect, a statistical extraction of the interannual variations of total ozone and stratospheric circulation over Northern Europe has been attempted. The variations extracted and observed for late winter show very good correspondence. The solar/QBO effect in total ozone and stratospheric dynamics over Northern Europe appears to be related to planetary wave activity.