The summertime 12-h wind oscillation with zonal wavenumber s = 1 in the lower thermosphere over the South Pole

Meteor radar measurements of winds near 95 km in four azimuth directions from the geographic South Pole are analyzed to reveal characteristics of the 12-h oscillation with zonal wavenumber one (s = 1). The wind measurements are confined to the periods from 19 January 1995 through 26 January 1996 and from 21 November 1996 through 27 January 1997. The 12-h s = 1 oscillation is found to be a predominantly summertime phenomenon, and is replaced in winter by a spectrum of oscillations with periods between 6 and 11.5 h. Both summers are characterized by minimum amplitudes (5–10 ms^–1) during early January and maxima (15–20 ms^–1) in November and late January. For 10-day means of the 12-h oscillation, smooth evolutions of phase of order 4–6 h occur during the course of the summer. In addition, there is considerable day-to-day variability (±5–10 ms^–1 in amplitude) with distinct periods (i.e., 5 days and 8 days) which suggests modulation by planetary-scale disturbances. A comparison of climatological data from Scott Base, Molodezhnaya, and Mawson stations suggests that the 12-h oscillation near 78°S is s = 1, but that at 68°S there is probably a mixture between s = 1 and other zonal wavenumber oscillations (most probably s = 2). The mechanism responsible for the existence of the 12-h s = 1 oscillation has not yet been identified. Possible origins discussed herein include in situ excitation, nonlinear interaction between the migrating semidiurnal tide and a stationary s = 1 feature, and thermal excitation in the troposphere.     

Extensions of Leovy's linear mesospheric circulation model

Linear mesospheric circulation models can quite realistically simulate mid-latitude mesospheric circulation and structure. In doing so they provide estimates for dissipation (Rayleigh friction 2×10^–6s^–1) and vertical mixing (30 m²s^–1) appropriate near the mesopause.     

CUTLASS HF radar observations of high-latitude azimuthally propagating vortical currents in the nightside ionosphere during magnetospheric substorms

High-time resolution CUTLASS observations and ground-based magnetometers have been employed to study the occurrence of vortical flow structures propagating through the high-latitude ionosphere during magnetospheric substorms. Fast-moving flow vortices (800 m s^–1) associated with Hall currents flowing around upward directed field-aligned currents are frequently observed propagating at high speed (1 km s^–1) azimuthally away from the region of the ionosphere associated with the location of the substorm expansion phase onset. Furthermore, a statistical analysis drawn from over 1000 h of high-time resolution, nightside radar data has enabled the characterisation of the bulk properties of these vortical flow systems. Their occurrence with respect to substorm phase has been investigated and a possible generation mechanism has been suggested.     

Ozone distribution over Mediterranean,central and southeast Europe during the International Quiet Sun Year (1964–1965)

Summary Ozone observations made during 1964 and 1965 at nine Mediterranean, central and southeast European stations (latitudes 38–52°N, longitudes 9–23°E) reveal patterns of seasonal and shorter time-variations in total ozone as well as in vertical ozone distribution. During the winter-spring season, a significant increase (20%) of ozone occurs essentially simultaneously with the spring stratospheric warming, and is noticed at all stations.—Autocorrelation coefficients show that the total ozone on any day is strongly related to the total ozone of the preceding four days in summer or one or two days in winter-spring or autumn. Changes of total ozone in southeast Europe correlate closely with those in Mediterranean Europe, and less closely with those from north central Europe.—Power spectrum analysis detects the dependence of ozone changes on processes with periods longer than 6–8 days, and indicates a significant oscillation with a period of 14–15 days, perhaps a result of the direct influence of lower stratospheric circumhemispheric circulation. — Reliable vertical ozone soundings were not available from all stations. The mean vertical profiles at Arosa, Switzerland (47°N) and Belsk, Poland (51°) are very similar. More than 60% of the variability of the total ozone is contributed by changes in ozone concentration between 10 and 24 km; less than 10% is due to variations above 33 km. Changes in ozone partial pressure at different altitudes, and relationships of those changes to total ozone, indicates that a mean vertical ozone distribution may be described adequately by considering the ozone changes in four layers: a) the troposphere, b) the lower stratosphere up to 24 km, c) a transition layer from 24 km to a variable upper border at 33–37 km, and d) the layer above 33–37 km.Part of this paper was presented at the Ozone Seminar in Potsdam, Germany, 27 September 1966.     

Seasonal variations in internal wave energy in a Scottish sea loch

Near-continuous observations of an internal wave field were made over a period of 13 months at a location in Inchmarnock Water at the northern end of the Clyde Sea. This paper sets out to determine the seasonal form of the energy density of the internal wave field at this location based on the hypothesis that it varies smoothly throughout the year, being greater in summer than in winter. The mooring was maintained between June 1999 and July 2000 in 150-m water with seven deployments. Estimates of kinetic and potential energy density were derived from Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and vertical temperature profiles respectively. Both were shown to vary on time scales less than 1 month with median values of mean kinetic energy (KE) density0.5 J m^–3 and for mean potential energy (PE) density0.01 J m^–3. The energy of the internal wave field was found to be continuous and without a clear seasonal form. Further, it was also always non-zero with intermittent peaks of much higher energy. In the late autumn the system experienced complete vertical overturning driven by local convective processes destroying the thermocline and causing a reduction in the overall KE density.Responsible Editor: Jens KappeubergOrginally presented as a poster at PECS 2002, Hamburg Germany     

EISCAT measurements of the solar wind

EISCAT observations of interplanetary scintillation have been used to measure the velocity of the solar wind at distances between 15 and 130R (solar radii) from the Sun. The results show that the solar wind consists of two distinct components, a fast stream with a velocity of 800 km s^–1 and a slow stream at 400 kms^–1. The fast stream appears to reach its final velocity much closer to the Sun than expected. The results presented here suggest that this is also true for the slow solar wind. Away from interaction regions the flow vector of the solar wind is purely radial to the Sun. Observations have been made of fast wind/slow wind interactions which show enhanced levels of scintillation in compression regions.     

An investigation of the dependence of structural parameters of the middle atmosphere on the intensity of photochemical and dynamical processes

Using a numerical model for temperature and neutral and ion composition behaviour at middle atmospheric heights, an analysis has been made of the dependence of atmospheric structural parameters on temperature, solar activity, and on turbulent transfer intensity. For mesospheric heights, an inverse dependence of the nitric oxide density on the temperature has been found. It is thus possible to explain experimentally obtained temperature variations over a cyclc of solar activity at mesospheric and lower thermospheric heights. Numerical simulation results indicate that the temperature in the height range 75–120 km depends considerably on both the absolute values of turbulent transfer coefficients and their vertical gradients.     

Multi-instrument observations of the electric and magnetic field structure of omega bands

High time resolution data from the CUTLASS Finland radar during the interval 01:30–03:30 UT on 11 May, 1998, are employed to characterise the ionospheric electric field due to a series of omega bands extending 5° in latitude at a resolution of 45 km in the meridional direction and 50 km in the azimuthal direction. E-region observations from the STARE Norway VHF radar operating at a resolution of 15 km over a comparable region are also incorporated. These data are combined with ground magnetometer observations from several stations. This allows the study of the ionospheric equivalent current signatures and height integrated ionospheric conductances associated with omega bands as they propagate through the field-of-view of the CUTLASS and STARE radars. The high-time resolution and multi-point nature of the observations leads to a refinement of the previous models of omega band structure. The omega bands observed during this interval have scale sizes 500 km and an eastward propagation velocity 0.75 km s^–1. They occur in the morning sector (05 MLT), simultaneously with the onset/intensification of a substorm to the west during the recovery phase of a previous substorm in the Scandinavian sector. A possible mechanism for omega band formation and their relationship to the substorm phase is discussed.     

Upper mantle structure of the Apulian plate from Rayleigh waves

Phase velocities of Rayleigh waves for the Adriatic Sea area are obtained in the period range 25–190 sec along the path (l'Aquila-Trieste) AQU-TRI and 20–167 sec along the path (Trieste-Bari) TRI-BAI.The phase velocities are systematically higher than the known values for the surrounding regions. The data inversion indicates the presence of a lithosphere typical of stable continental areas with clear high-velocity lid (V _s 4.6 km/sec) overlying a well developed low velocity zone (V _s 4.2 km/sec).P. F. Geodinamica C.N.R., Roma Pubbl. N. 189.     

Lengths and hazards from channel-fed lava flows on Mauna Loa, Hawai‘i, determined from thermal and downslope modeling with FLOWGO

Using the FLOWGO thermo-rheological model we have determined cooling-limited lengths of channel-fed (i.e. a) lava flows from Mauna Loa. We set up the program to run autonomously, starting lava flows from every 4th line and sample in a 30-m spatial-resolution SRTM DEM within regions corresponding to the NE and SW rift zones and the N flank of the volcano. We consider that each model run represents an effective effusion rate, which for an actual flow coincides with it reaching 90% of its total length. We ran the model at effective effusion rates ranging from 1 to 1,000 m³ s^–1, and determined the cooling-limited channel length for each. Keeping in mind that most flows extend 1–2 km beyond the end of their well-developed channels and that our results are non-probabilistic in that they give all potential vent sites an equal likelihood to erupt, lava coverage results include the following: SW rift zone flows threaten almost all of Mauna Loas SW flanks, even at effective effusion rates as low as 50 m³ s^–1 (the average effective effusion rate for SW rift zone eruptions since 1843 is close to 400 m³ s^–1). N flank eruptions, although rare in the recent geologic record, have the potential to threaten much of the coastline S of Keauhou with effective effusion rates of 50–100 m³ s^–1, and the coast near Anaehoomalu if effective effusion rates are 400–500 m³ s^–1 (the 1859 a flow reached this coast with an effective effusion rate of 400 m³ s^–1). If the NE rift zone continues to be active only at elevations >2,500 m, in order for a channel-fed flow to reach Hilo the effective effusion rate needs to be 400 m³ s^–1 (the 1984 flow by comparison, had an effective effusion rate of 200 m³ s^–1). Hilo could be threatened by NE rift zone channel-fed flows with lower effective effusion rates but only if they issue from vents at 2,000 m or lower. Populated areas on Mauna Loas SE flanks (e.g. Phala), could be threatened by SW rift zone eruptions with effective effusion rates of 100 m³ s^–1.Editorial responsibility: J Donnelly-Nolan     

Extension of Antarctic ozone hole to lower latitudes in the South-American region

A comparison of monthly mean values of total ozone at South Pole, Buenos Aires (Argentina), Cachoeira Paulista and Natal (Brazil), and Huancayo (Peru) revealed that whereas South Pole showed an ozone depletion of 45% in October 1987 (as compared to October, 1977), Buenos Aires showed a small decrease (10%) while the other locations showed very small decreases (1–2%). When daily values are considered, the Antarctic ozone hole of October 1987 seems to have caused 10% depletion at Buenos Aires and 5% at Natal and Huancayo in December 1987. However, a large part of this is normal seasonal variation, except at Huancayo, where a residual effect of 5% depletion in December 1987 remains. The QBO effects (5–8% changes in the ozone level in 2–3 years) could cause 10–15% fluctuations in solar UVB on the ground on clear-sky days and could be a possible health hazard unless factors like cloudiness reduce the UVB intensities.     

Simultaneous ionospheric and magnetospheric observations of azimuthally propagating transient features during substorms

During the 6^th August 1995, the CUTLASS Finland HF radar ran in a high time resolution mode, allowing measurements of line-of-sight convection velocities along a single beam with a temporal resolution of 14 s. Data from such scans, during the substorm expansion phase, revealed pulses of equatorward flow exceeding 600 m s^–1 with a duration of 5 min and a repetition period of 8 min. Each pulse of enhanced equatorward flow was preceded by an interval of suppressed flow and enhanced ionospheric Hall conductance. These transient features, which propagate eastwards away from local midnight, have been interpreted as ionospheric current vortices associated with fieldaligned current pairs. The present study reveals that these ionospheric convection features appear to have an accompanying signature in the magnetosphere, comprising a dawnward perturbation and dipolarisation of the magnetic field and dawnward plasma flow, measured in the geomagnetic tail by the Geotail spacecraft, located at L = 10 and some four hours to the east, in the postmidnight sector. These signatures are suggested to be the consequence of the observation of the same field aligned currents in the magnetosphere. Their possible relationship with bursty Earthward plasma flow and magnetotail reconnection is discussed.     

Upward high-energy field-aligned electron beams above the polar edge of auroral oval: observations from the SKA-3 instruments onboard the Auroral Probe (Interball-2)

A new phenomenon was found at the polar edge of the auroral oval in the postmidnight-morning sectors: field-aligned (FA) high-energy upward electron beams in the energy range 20–40 keV at altitudes about 3 R_E, accompanied by bidirectional electron FA beams of keV energy. The beam intensity often reaches more than 0.5 · 10³ electrons/s · sr · keV · cm², and the beams are observed for a relatively long time (3 10²–10³ s), when the satellite at the apogee moves slowly in the ILAT-MLT frame. A qualitative scenario of the acceleration mechanism is proposed, according to which the satellite is within a region of bidirectional acceleration where a stochastic FA acceleration is accomplished by waves with fluctuating FA electric field components in both directions.     

Intercalibration of HRDI and WINDII wind measurements

The High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI) and the Wind Imaging Interferometer (WINDII) instruments, which are both on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, measure winds by sensing the Doppler shift in atmospheric emission features. Because the two observation sets are frequently nearly coincident in space and time, each provides a very effective validation test of the other. Discrepancies due to geophysical differences should be much smaller than for comparisons with other techniques (radars, rockets, etc.), and the very large sizes of the coincident data sets provide excellent statistics for the study. Issues that have been examined include relative systematic offsets and the wind magnitudes obtained with the two systems. A significant zero wind position difference of 6 m s^–1 is identified for the zonal component, and it appears that this arises from an absolute perturbation in WINDII winds of -4 m s^–1 and in HRDI of +2 m s^–1. Altitude offsets appear to be relatively small, and do not exceed 1 km. In addition, no evidence is found for the existence of a systematic wind speed bias between HRDI and WINDII. However, considerable day-to-day variability is found in the quality of the agreement, and RMS differences are surprisingly large, typically in the range of 20-30 m s^–1.     

Mean vertical wind in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere region (80–120 km) deduced from the WINDII observations on board UARS

The WINDII interferometer placed on board the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite measures temperature and wind from the O(¹S) green-line emission in the Earths mesosphere and lower thermosphere. It is a remote-sensing instrument providing the horizontal wind components. In this study, the vertical winds are derived using the continuity equation. Mean wind annually averaged at equinoxes and solstices is shown. Ascendance and subsidence to the order of 1–2 cm s^–1 present a seasonal occurrence at the equator and tropics. Zonal Coriolis acceleration and adiabatic heating and cooling rate associated to the mean meridional and vertical circulations are evaluated. The line emission rate measured together with the horizontal wind shows structures in altitude and latitude correlated with the meridional and vertical wind patterns. The effect of wind advection is discussed.     

CUTLASS/IMAGE observations of high-latitude convection features during substorms

The CUTLASS Finland HF radar has been operational since February 1995. The radar frequently observes backscatter during the midnight sector from a latitude range 70–75° geographic, latitudes often associated with the polar cap. These intervals of backscatter occur during intervals of substorm activity, predominantly in periods of relatively quiet magnetospheric activity, with Kp during the interval under study being 2-and K_P for the day being only 8-. During August 1995 the radar ran in a high time resolution mode, allowing measurements of line-of-sight convection velocities along a single beam with a temporal resolution of 14s, and measurement of a full spatial scan of line-of-sight convection velocities every four minutes. Data from such scans reveal the radar to be measuring return flow convection during the interval of substorm activity. For three intervals during the period under study, a reduction in the spatial extent of radar backscatter occurred. This is a consequence of D region HF absorption and its limited extent in the present study is probably a consequence of the high latitude of the substorm activity, with the electrojet centre lying between 67° and 71° geomagnetic latitude. The high time resolution beam of the radar additionally demonstrates that the convection is highly time dependent. Pulses of equatorward flow exceeding 600 m s^–1 are observed with a duration of 5 min and a repetition period of 8 min. Their spatial extent in the CUTLASS field of view was 400–500 km in longitude, and 300–400 km in latitude. Each pulse of enhanced equatorward flow was preceded by an interval of suppressed flow and enhanced ionospheric Hall conductance. The transient features are interpreted as being due to ionospheric current vortices associated with field aligned current pairs. The relationship between these observations and substorm phenomena in the magnetotail is discussed.     

Mid-latitude ionospheric perturbation associated with the Spacelab-2 plasma depletion experiment at Millstone Hill

Elevation scans across geomagnetic mid latitudes by the incoherent scatter radar at Millstone Hill captured the ionospheric response to the firing of the Space Shuttle Challenger OMS thrusters near the peak of the F layer on July 30, 1985. Details of the excitation of airglow and the formation of an ionospheric hole during this event have been reported in an earlier paper by Mendillo et al.. The depletion (factor 2) near the 320 km Shuttle orbital altitude persisted for 35 min and then recovered to near normal levels, while at 265 km the density was reduced by a factor of 6; this significant reduction in the bottomside F-region density persisted for more than 3 hours. Total electron content in the vicinity of the hole was reduced by more than a factor of 2, and an oscillation of the F-region densities with 40-min period ensued and persisted for several hours. Plasma vertical Doppler velocity varied quasi-periodically with a 80-min period, while magnetic field variations observed on the field line through the Shuttle-burn position exhibited a similar 80-min periodicity. An interval of magnetic field variations at hydromagnetic frequencies (95 s period) accompanied the ionospheric perturbations on this field line. Radar observations revealed a downward phase progression of the 40-min period density enhancements of -1.12° km–1, corresponding to a 320-km vertical wavelength. An auroral-latitude geomagnetic disturbance began near the time of the Spacelab-2 experiment and was associated with the imposition of a strong southward IMF Bz across the magnetosphere. This created an additional complication in the interpretation of the active ionospheric experiment. It cannot be determined uniquely whether the ionospheric oscillations, which followed the Spacelab-2 experiment, were related to the active experiment or were the result of a propagating ionospheric disturbance (TID) launched by the enhanced auroral activity. The most reasonable conclusion is that the ionospheric oscillations were a result of the coincident geomagnetic disturbance. The pronounced depletion of the bottomside ionosphere, however, accentuated the oscillatory behavior during the interval following the Shuttle OMS burn.     

Effect of the IMF B y component on the ionospheric flow overhead at EISCAT: observations and theory

We have analysed a database of 300 h of tristatic ionospheric velocity measurements obtained overhead at Tromsø (66.3° magnetic latitude) by the EISCAT UHF radar system, for the presence of flow effects associated with the y-component of the IMF. Since it is already known that the flow depends upon IMF B_z, a least-squares multivariate analysis has been used to determine the flow dependence on both IMF B_y and B_z simultaneously. It is found that significant flow variations with IMF B_y occur, predominantly in the midnight sector (2100/0300 MLT), but also pre-dusk (1600/1700 MLT), which are directed eastward for IMF B_y positive and westward for IMF B_y negative. The flows are of magnitude 20/30 m s^–1 nT^–1 in the midnight sector, and smaller, 10/20 m s^–1 nT^–1, pre-dusk, and are thus associated with significant changes of flow of order a few hundred m s^–1 over the usual range of IMF B_y of about ±5 nT. At other local times the IMF B_y-related perturbation flows are much smaller, less than 5 m s^–1 nT^–1, and consistent with zero within the uncertainty estimates. We have investigated whether these IMF B_y-dependent flows can be accounted for quantitatively by a theoretical model in which the equatorial flow in the inner magnetosphere is independent of IMF B_y, but where distortions of the magnetospheric magnetic field associated with a penetrating component of the IMF B_y field changes the mapping of the field to the ionosphere, and hence the ionospheric flow. We find that the principal flow perturbation produced by this effect is an east-west flow whose sense is determined by the north-south component of the unperturbed flow. Perturbations in the north-south flow are typically smaller by more than an order of magnitude, and generally negligible in terms of observations. Using equatorial flows which are determined from EISCAT data for zero IMF B_y, to which the corotation flow has been added, the theory predicts the presence of zonal perturbation flows which are generally directed eastward in the Northern Hemisphere for IMF B_y positive and westward for IMF B_y negative at all local times. However, although the day and night effects are therefore similar in principle, the model perturbation flows are much larger on the nightside than on the dayside, as observed, due to the day-night asymmetry in the unperturbed magnetospheric magnetic field. Overall, the model results are found to account well for the observed IMF B_y-related flow perturbations in the midnight sector, in terms of the sense and direction of the flow, the local time of their occurrence, as well as the magnitude of the flows (provided the magnetic model employed is not too distorted from dipolar form). At other local times the model predicts much smaller IMF B_y-related flow perturbations, and thus does not account for the effects observed in the pre-dusk sector.     

Spatial distribution of upstream magnetospheric ≥50 keV ions

We present for the first time a statistical study of 50 keV ion events of a magnetospheric origin upstream from Earths bow shock. The statistical analysis of the 50–220 keV ion events observed by the IMP-8 spacecraft shows: (1) a dawn-dusk asymmetry in ion distributions, with most events and lower intensities upstream from the quasi-parallel pre-dawn side (4 LT-6 LT) of the bow shock, (2) highest ion fluxes upstream from the nose/dusk side of the bow shock under an almost radial interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) configuration, and (3) a positive correlation of the ion intensities with the solar wind speed and the index of geomagnetic index Kp, with an average solar wind speed as high as 620 km s^–1 and values of the index Kp 2. The statistical results are consistent with (1) preferential leakage of 50 keV magnetospheric ions from the dusk magnetopause, (2) nearly scatter free motion of 50 keV ions within the magnetosheath, and (3) final escape of magnetospheric ions from the quasi-parallel dawn side of the bow shock. An additional statistical analysis of higher energy (290–500 keV) upstream ion events also shows a dawn-dusk asymmetry in the occurrence frequency of these events, with the occurrence frequency ranging between 16%-34% in the upstream region.     

The lunar tides in the Antarctic mesosphere and lower thermosphere

Horizontal winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere over the Antarctic have been measured by a meteor radar at Rothera (67.5°S, 68.0°W) and MF radar at Davis (68.6°S, 78.0°E). Data from Rothera recorded over a 20-month interval in 2005–2006 and data from Davis recorded over the 13-year interval 1994–2006 are examined to investigate the monthly mean behaviour of the lunar semidiurnal tide. Both data sets show a clear signal of the 12.42-h lunar semidiurnal (M₂) tide. The amplitude reaches values as large as 8 m s⁻¹. The vertical wavelengths of the tide vary seasonally from 10 to 65 km. Comparisons of the phase of the tide measured over the two sites reveals that it does not purely consist of a migrating wavenumber 2 mode. This suggests that other, non-migrating, modes are likely to be present.