Investigation of infrasound signatures from microbaroms using OH airglow and ground-based microbarometers

In the frame of the European H2020 project ARISE, a short wave infrared (SWIR) InGaAs camera has been operated at the Haute-Provence Observatory, during a night that corresponds to the peak of Geminid meteor shower to investigate infrasound associated with meteor arrivals. This camera allows continuous observations during clear-sky nighttime of the OH airglow layer centered at 87 km. These observations were collocated with Rayleigh lidar measurements providing vertical temperature profiles from the lower stratosphere to the altitude of the OH layer around the mesopause. Spectral analysis of OH images did not allow to detect infrasound associated with meteor trails, however it reveals a peak corresponding to infrasound signals in the frequency band of those produced by ocean swell. Infrasound wave activity observed from ground-based microbarometers as well as the OH camera, appear to be modified with the presence of a temperature inversion described by Rayleigh lidar. Indeed, there is a difference in energy related to infrasonic activity between the first part of the night during the temperature inversion and after the inversion.     

Equatorial planetary waves in the mesosphere observed by airglow periodic oscillations

Planetary scale waves in the equatorial upper mesosphere were studied by measuring the airglow OI557.7 nm, O₂b(0,1) and OH(6,2) emission intensities and OH rotational temperature at São João do Cariri (7.4°S; 36.5°W). From four years of data, 1998–2001, periodic oscillations of the airglow emissions were analyzed using the Lomb–Scargle spectral analysis. An oscillation of 3–4 days was frequently observed, which might be ultra-fast Kelvin waves. No seasonal dependency of the wave activity was found. On some occasions we found a quasi-5-day oscillation with a phase difference between the emissions, suggesting an upward energy flow. This is interpreted as a normal mode Rossby wave.     

Wave perturbations in the MLT at high northern latitudes in winter,observed by two SATI instruments

To investigate the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT) region, several ground-based instruments called SATI (Spectral Airglow Temperature Imager) were designed and built to measure airglow emission and temperature in the upper mesosphere. One SATI instrument was installed at Resolute Bay (74.7°N, 94.9°W) and has monitored the polar MLT region since November, 2001. In October 2007 another SATI instrument was installed at Eureka (80.0°N, 86.3°W) at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) as part of the Canadian Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Change (CANDAC) project. SATI is a spatial scanning Fabry–Perot spectrometer measuring column emission rates for several rotational lines of OH and O₂ airglow at 87 and 94 km height. The rotational temperatures are inferred from the ratios of these lines. The measurements are divided into 12 sectors with an annular field of view. The phase differences between the sectors yield information on the horizontal atmospheric wave direction and wavelength. Horizontal perturbations of 2–8 h period have correlatively been observed and investigated at both locations. Short-periodic oscillations identified as gravity waves with periods between 2 and 8 h propagate in southward and eastward directions, but in opposite directions in some cases. The wave propagation characteristics are often different at the two locations; the relationship with the lower mean wind is considered.     

Observations of non-migrating tides and ionospheric perturbations of O(D) airglow by ISUAL instrument

In this paper, we present the spatial variations of O(¹D) airglow observed by the ISUAL (Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning) instrument on board the FORMOSAT-2 satellite. With a CCD camera and a 630 nm filter, ISUAL can measure global atmospheric emissions lying between the heights of 80 and 300 km. In days of 3–6 September 2008 and 25–27 February 2009, ISUAL has measured the emissions of O(¹D) airglow with results showing strong longitudinal peak-3 and peak-4 structures. The Lomb-Scargle analyses for these two cases show periods of longitudes of 120° and 90° supporting the DE2 and DE3 non-migrating tides. The 630 nm emissions are enhanced in equatorial regions and are lying along the equator. Over Africa its intensity can sometimes increase up to 80% relative to other longitudes. The perturbation is so strong that non-migrating tides are erased. A case of bimodal distribution with strong emissions at latitudes in equator and mid-latitude in geographic coordinates was observed.     

Registration of wave disturbances over Yakutia

The results of investigations of wave processes with periods 2 hours on their influence and on the night sky airglow intensity are given. The observations were carried out by multichannel spectrometer for three seasons of 1985–1988 at the optical testing ground Maimaga (γ = 63°N; λ = 129, 5°E). The synchronous detection of two and sometimes of three emissions of night sky airglow yielded the oppotunity to track a vertical travel of waves and to estimate their parameters. In most cases the waves propagate upward, i.e. the sources of waves were below mesosphere. The estimated vertical velocity change within 0,9-3,3 m/s and vertical wave length - within 18–85 km. A horizontal velocity varies from 83 to 330 m/s. The wave activity (the occurence frequency) and their amplitude in winter is higher than in spring. The estimated energies transfered by waves to the upper atmosphere are in winter 3.8·10⁻³ W/m² and in spring 2.7·10⁻³ W/m².     

A review on the upper atmospheric sodium observations from India: Insights

This review article briefly brings out the historical development of atmospheric sodium (Na) measurements over India and the importance of coordinated measurements with multiple techniques to address physical processes in the Earth's upper atmosphere. These measurements were initiated in the early 1970s by observing Na airglow emission intensities with broad band airglow photometer from Mt. Abu, a low-latitude hill station in India. Considerable amount of night-to-night variations in nocturnal emission intensities of the Na airglow were observed. Later, investigations regarding the dependence with the magnetic activities from the equatorial and low latitudes were carried out and double-humped structures in the nocturnal variation of intensities were reported. With the advent of Na lidar at Gadanki around 2005, the measurements of atmospheric neutral Na atom concentration became possible and more frequent occurrences of sporadic Na layers over the magnetic low latitude station compared to other latitudes were detected indicating the role played by electrodynamics. Later, a possible relationship between E-region field aligned plasma irregularities and the concentration of neutral Na atoms was investigated using coordinated measurements of VHF radar and Na lidar. Further, simultaneous measurements with Na lidar and a narrow band airglow photometer with narrow field of view brought out the importance of coordinated observation wherein the characterization of gravity waves could be carried out and also revealed the importance of collisional quenching due to ambient molecules in the Na airglow emission processes. In addition, combining the ground based measurements of Na lidar and meteor wind radar along with satellite measurements made possible to hypothesize the over-turning Kelvin–Helmholtz billow in the Na layer manifests “C-type” or inverted lambda shape structures in the height-time-concentration map of neutral Na atoms. This review paper presents a synoptic view mostly based on the previously reported observations of Na airglow emission, Na lidar and coordinated Na airglow and Na lidar observations from the Indian sector and highlights the importance of simultaneous measurements of mesospheric Na and its emissions along with satellite-borne measurements to address interesting geophysical processes in the Earth's upper atmosphere.     

Response of OH,O2 and OI5577 airglow emissions to the mesospheric bore in the equatorial region of Brazil

An all-sky CCD imager capable of measuring wave structure in the airglow OH, O₂ and OI (557.7 nm) emissions was operated in the equatorial region at São João do Cariri (Cariri), Brazil (7°S, 36°W), in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE). Occurrence of mesospheric bore events was studied using the data from September 2000 to September 2002. Sixty-four bore events were detected during the observation period. Most of the bores showed the complementary effects suggested by Dewan and Picard [E.M. Dewan, R.H. Picard, Mesospheric bores. Journal of Geophysical Research 103, 6295–6305, 1998], except in a few cases where the relative variations were inconsistent with this model.     

Adelaide地区大气重力波的气辉观测

利用澳大利亚Adelaide(34.5°S,138.5°E)地区7年(1995-2001年)的OH和OI气辉观测数据,以及同地区中频雷达所测背景风场数据,通过最大熵谱分析方法,统计分析了该地区大尺度重力波的传播特性.结果表明,(1)在中层顶气辉观测区,利用OH气辉探测到48个重力波事件,利用OI气辉探测到29个重力波事件,这些重力波的周期和水平相速度分别集中在68 min和36 m/s左右,具有东南向的优势传播方向,平均仰角为8°～10°,接近水平方向传播;(2)通过OH气辉和OI气辉观测到了同一个重力波事件,并根据两个高度上观测到的扰动相位差判断该重力波为上行波.      

一种全天空气辉成像仪数据预处理方法和初步结果

大气重力波是大气中的基本波动形式之一,在中高层大气动力和热力学过程中起着十分重要的作用.全天空气辉成像仪是一种以大气气辉辐射为示踪物,能够有效对大气重力波成像的仪器.本文针对中国科学院国家空间科学中心空间天气学国家重点实验室中高层大气组自主研制的全天空气辉成像仪所观测的数据,提出了一种气辉图像预处理方法,进行平场校正、方位校正、星光去除和坐标映射等数据订正.利用该方法处理2015年5月17日21:00BLT至次日05:00BLT西宁台站（36.6°N,101.7°E）的OH气辉数据,发现一次重力波事件,分析并获得了该重力波的水平波长、观测水平相速度和传播方向（分别为17.72km,47m·s-1,339°）.研究结果表明该方法是可行的.      

Characterization of the semi-annual-oscillation in mesospheric temperatures at low-latitudes

Novel measurements of the seasonal variability in mesospheric temperature at low-latitudes have been obtained from Maui, Hawaii (20.8°N, 156.2°W) during a 25-month period from October 2001 to January 2004. Independent observations of the OH (6, 2) Meinel band (peak height ∼87 km) and the O₂ (0–1) atmospheric band emission (∼94 km) were made using the CEDAR Mesospheric Temperature Mapper. The data revealed a coherent oscillation in emission intensity and rotational temperature with a well-defined periodicity of 181 ± 7 days. The amplitude of this oscillation was determined to be ∼5–6 K in temperature and ∼8–9% in intensity for both the OH and O₂ data sets. In addition, a strong asymmetry in the shape of the oscillation was also observed with the spring maximum significantly larger than the fall peak. These data provide new evidence in support of a semi-annual-oscillation in mesospheric temperature (and airglow emission intensities) and help quantify its seasonal characteristics.     

中国山西地区法布里-珀罗干涉仪测风能力及数据质量检验

介绍了中国气象局山西岢岚大气观测站(39°N, 112°E) 法 布里-珀罗干涉仪(FPI) 的基本 构造、测风能力、程序处理流程、数据质量控制方法以及检验情况. 岢 岚观测站FPI可以观测892.0 (OH)nm, 557.7 (OI)nm和630.0 (OI)nm 波 长处气辉谱线的多普勒移动, 分别计算对应87km, 97km和250km高度处 的大气风速和大气温度, 可给出中间层顶区域及热层风的大气潮汐和扰动 情况. 采用水平风模型(HWM)输出结果进行交叉检验, 对FPI测风数据质量进行验证. 结果显示, 岢岚大气观测站FPI仪器的测风数据 在长期趋势上与HWM模式的输出数据一致, 风速变化幅度有季节性差异, 数据质 量控制方法有效, 测风误差在87km高度处为5.7m·s-1, 97km处 为1.3m·s-1, 250km处为4.1m·s-1, 测风数据 通过了可靠性检验.      

Imaging spectroscopy of the Venus 1.27-μm O2 airglow with ground-based telescopes

Several ground-based observations of the Venus 1.27-μm O₂ airglow were carried out from 2002 to 2005. Spectral image cubes were taken with the Okayama Astrophysical Observatory/infrared imaging spectrometer (superOASIS), the Gunma Astronomical Observatory/Cassegrain Near-Infrared Camera and NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility/cryogenic echelle spectrograph (CSHELL). The brightest airglow features were found at around the anti-solar point, which is in agreement with previous studies. We derived the rotational temperature distributions on the nightside hemisphere from observed airglow spectra. The temperature shows a weak positive correlation with the airglow intensity. The result indicates the bright region is heated chemically and/or dynamically, and supports the existing scenario for the Venus O₂ airglow. That is, the airglow is excited by the descending oxygen transported from the dayside.     

Limb Viewing Hyper Spectral Imager (LiVHySI) for airglow measurements onboard YOUTHSAT-1

The Limb Viewing Hyper Spectral Imager (LiVHySI) is one of the Indian payloads onboard YOUTHSAT (inclination 98.73°, apogee 817 km) launched in April, 2011. The Hyper-spectral imager has been operated in Earth’s limb viewing mode to measure airglow emissions in the spectral range 550–900 nm, from terrestrial upper atmosphere (i.e. 80 km altitude and above) with a line-of-sight range of about 3200 km. The altitude coverage is about 500 km with command selectable lowest altitude. This imaging spectrometer employs a Linearly Variable Filter (LVF) to generate the spectrum and an Active Pixel Sensor (APS) area array of 256 × 512 pixels, placed in close proximity of the LVF as detector. The spectral sampling is done at 1.06 nm interval. The optics used is an eight element f/2 telecentric lens system with 80 mm effective focal length. The detector is aligned with respect to the LVF such that its 512 pixel dimension covers the spectral range. The radiometric sensitivity of the imager is about 20 Rayleigh at noise floor through the signal integration for 10 s at wavelength 630 nm. The imager is being operated during the eclipsed portion of satellite orbits. The integration in the time/spatial domain could be chosen depending upon the season, solar and geomagnetic activity and/or specific target area. This paper primarily aims at describing LiVHySI, its in-orbit operations, quality, potential of the data and its first observations. The images reveal the thermospheric airglow at 630 nm to be the most prominent. These first LiVHySI observations carried out on the night of 21st April, 2011 are presented here, while the variability exhibited by the thermospheric nightglow at O(¹D) 630 nm has been described in detail.     

Airglow OH emission height inferred from the OH temperature and meteor trail diffusion coefficient

Simultaneous observations of the airglow OH(6,2) band rotational temperature, TOH, and meteor trail ambipolar diffusion coefficient, D, were carried out at Shigaraki (35°N, 136°E), during PSMOS 2003 Campaign, January 28 to February 8, 2003. The OH emission height was estimated by cross correlation analysis of the TOH and D nocturnal variations. A good correlation between TOH and D was obtained at 85 km of altitude. From the nocturnal variations of TOH and D, it is found that the OH emission peak height varied from 88 km before the midnight to 84 km in the early morning. The height variation could be caused by an atmospheric tidal effect in the emission height.     

Waves in airglow structures experiment 2004: Overview and preliminary results

Overview and preliminary results of a coordinated rocket and ground-based measurement campaign, Waves in Airglow Structures Experiment 2004 (WAVE2004), are presented. The aim of the campaign is to understand the formation process of wavy structures in the airglow from both dynamical and chemical aspects. Na lidar was used to monitor the vertical structure of atmospheric waves continuously. Ground-based measurements operated from several days before the launch could detect various waves. The atomic oxygen density distribution found showed a single peak structure as usually expected instead of a double peak structure in the previous campaign.     

Fine structure of the ionospheric plasma bubbles observed by the OI 6300 and 5577 airglow images

Simultaneous measurements of the ionospheric airglow OI 630.0 nm and OI 557.7 nm emissions have been carried out by means of an all-sky CCD imager system at Cachoeira Paulista, since October 1998. During a developed phase of plasma depletion (bubble) in the equatorial anomaly region, both emissions show intensity depletions along the geomagnetic North—South direction, and also bifurcation of the bubbles. It is frequently observed that the OI 557.7 image shows more fine structure of the bubble than the OI 630.0. The amplitude of the intensity depletion was also larger for OI557.7 than OI630.0. This might be due to the difference in life time between the O(¹D) and O(¹S) states, which are responsible for the OI 630.0 and OI 557.7 emissions, respectively. The O(¹D) might be affected by thermal relaxation and diffusion processes before the radiative transition.     

Some features of the day-to-day MLT wind variability in winter 2017–2018 as seen with a European/Siberian meteor radar network

We present results of wind measurements near the mesopause carried out with meteor radars (MRs) at Collm (51°N, 13°E), Obninsk (55°N, 37°E), Kazan (56°N, 49°E), Angarsk (52°N, 104°E) and Anadyr (65°N, 178°E) from October 1, 2017 till March 31, 2018. The Collm and Kazan MRs are SKiYMET radars with vertical transmission and radio echo height finding, while the other radars operate with horizontal transmission and without height finding. We paid particular attention to the meridional wind variability with periods of 4–6 days and 9–11 days. The waves with these periods are seen as spots of the wave activity in the wavelet spectra and include oscillations with different periods and different discrete zonal wavenumbers. These wave packets successively propagate as a group of waves from one site to another one in such a way that they are observed at one site and almost disappear at the previous one. The 4–6 wave group includes planetary-scale oscillations (individual spectral components) which have eastward phase velocities and mostly zonal wavenumbers 2 and 3, and the vertical wavelength exceeds 70 km at middle latitudes. The source of the oscillations is the polar jet instability. The wave group itself propagates westward, and the amplitudes of wind oscillations are approximately 5–6 m/s as obtained from the wind data averaged over the meteor zone. The 9–11 day wave set propagates westward as a group and mainly consists of spectral components which have westward phase velocity and zonal wavenumber 1. Amplitudes of these wind perturbations strongly vary from station to station and can reach, approximately, 8 m/s. The vertical wavenumber is 0.014 km⁻¹ as taken from the Kazan and 0.05 km⁻¹ according to the Collm data. We obtained a global view on the waves by using the AURA MLS geopotential data. We found a good correspondence between wave features obtained from the MR wind measurements and the MLS data. To our knowledge, such a wave propagation of planetary wave in the mesosphere/lower thermosphere (MLT) region has so far not obtained much attention.     

Evidence of change after 2001 in the seasonal behaviour of the mesopause region from airglow data at El Leoncito

Airglow intensities and rotational temperatures of the OH(6-2) and O₂b(0-1) bands acquired at El Leoncito (32°S, 69°W) provide good annual coverage in 1998–2002, 2006, and 2007, with between 192 and 311 nights of observation per year. These data can therefore be used to derive the seasonal variations during each of these seven years, in airglow brightness and temperatures at altitudes of 87 and 95 km. From 1998 to 2001, seasonal variations are similar enough so that they can be well represented by a mean climatology, for each parameter. On the other hand, these climatologies do not agree with what is usually observed at other sites, maybe due to the particular orographic conditions at El Leoncito. With respect to the last three fully documented years (2002, 2006, and 2007), the similarity from year to year deteriorates, and there are greater differences in the seasonal behaviour, more or less in all the parameters. The differences include, e.g., maxima occurring earlier or later than “normal”, by one or two months. All this may suggest the build-up of a new regime of intraseasonal variability, with a possible relationship to corresponding changes in wave activity.     

Sodium lidar measurements of mesopause region temperatures at 23° S

A sodium lidar, capable of measuring temperature in the 80–100 km region, has been in operation at São José dos Campos (23° S, 46 W) since March 2007. Good quality data have been obtained for late autumn, winter and spring, but weather conditions make it extremely difficult to make measurements from mid-November to mid- February. We find the temperature structure to be strongly modulated by tides and gravity waves, but average profiles typically show a primary mesopause height close to 100 km with temperatures around 180 K, and a tendency for a secondary minimum of about 185 K to occur close to 90 km. Vertical temperature gradients greater than 50 K/km are sometimes seen even on profiles averaged over several hours. The strongest gradients are always positive and are frequently associated with strong gradients in sodium concentration. On the other hand, we frequently see rapid changes in the temperature profile, suggesting that models and non-local temperature measurements, as made by satellite radiometers, for example, are of little use in applications such as the analysis of gravity wave propagation seen in airglow images.     

Coordinated lidar and TIMED observations of the quasi-two-day wave during August 2002–2004 and possible quasi-biennial oscillation influence

The Colorado State University sodium lidar, located in Fort Collins, CO (41N, 105W), is capable of both daytime and nighttime operations and has conducted a number of continuous multiple-day observational campaigns over the past few years. Three such campaigns, lasting between 80 and 90 h, were conducted during August 2002–2004 when mesospheric winds and temperature observations were collected simultaneously. These data were processed to extract the vertical structure and temporal evolution of the quasi-two-day wave, which was found to be significant in the power spectra. The quasi-two-day wave in temperature, zonal wind and meridional wind was analyzed for each year, indicating that the wave activity in 2003 was weaker than the other two years. Concurrent TIMED/SABER (2002–2004) and TIMED/TIDI observations (2004) in August were also processed. The SABER temperature shows a quasi-two-day wave with a dominant westward propagating zonal wavenumber four (s = −4) component in 2002 and 2004 but not in 2003. Analysis of the TIDI winds in August 2004 also indicates significant quasi-two-day wave activity, with the zonal wavenumber three and four components of comparable strength. The results of this coordinated ground-based lidar and TIMED satellite observations during August are presented. The possible influence of quasi-biennial oscillation on the inter-annual variability of the quasi-two-day wave is investigated.