Investigation of Satellite Trace (ST) and Multi-reflected Echo (MRE) ionogram signatures and its possible correlation to nighttime spread F development from Cyprus over the solar mini-max (2009–2016)

Multi-reflected echoes (MREs) and satellite traces (STs) are referred in literature as ionogram signatures of Travelling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs) which is a phenomenon that apparently drives spread F development mainly at nighttime mid-latitude ionosphere. A long-term statistical study has been undertaken to investigate the morphological aspect of these signatures over the lower midlatitude European station of Nicosia, Cyprus (35.19°N, 33.38°E geographic; magnetic dip. 29.38°N) by inspecting all ionograms recorded by the DPS-4D digisonde in the interval 2009–2016. The results underline the systematic manifestation of these TID signatures over Cyprus with a possible (although not quite clear) solar activity dependence and a distinctive seasonal and diurnal occurrence rate with a seasonal peak of STs during summer and of MREs during January to April. Based on the experimental results of the present study, the seasonal occurrence rate of MREs and STs is found to increase by 75% and 56% during high solar activity periods. Satellite traces are well known ionogram signatures of TIDs and mostly correlated to the nighttime spread F formation. The occurrence of mid-latitude spread Fs over European longitude sector normally increases during summer. The occurrences of TIDs are also prominent at this interval of the year over nighttime mid-latitude ionosphere. The presence of MREs as an ionogram signature of TIDs over mid-latitude ionosphere is unique in nature.     

Vertical TEC variations and model during low solar activity at a low latitude station,Xiamen

GPS-derived vertical TEC recorded at Xiamen (24.5°N, 118.1°E, geomagnetic latitude 13.2°N), China, during year 2006 is analyzed for the first time and compared to that predicted by ionosphere model SPIM recommend by ISO. A manifest seasonal anomaly is found with the high value during equinoctial season and low value during summer and winter season. Relative standard deviation for VTEC shows high value at around midnight and before sunrise. The correlation analysis exhibits that the variation of VTEC has a very weak relation with geomagnetic and solar activities (Dst, AP, SSN and F10.7). Comparative results reveal that the SPIM overestimates the observed VTEC at most of the time.     

北纬30°N中间层和低热层大气平均风中频雷达观测

利用武汉(30.5°N,114.4°W)中频雷达在2001年1月1日至3月18日、2002年2月5日至3月18日、2002年10月18日至12月31日期间,日本Yamagawa(31.2°N,130.6°W)中频雷达在1997年1月1日至10月17日期间的数据,分析北纬30°N地区上空60-98km高度的中间层、低热层大气平均风的变化规律,结果表明平均纬向风和经向风都具有明显的季节变化.平均纬向风在冬季基本为西风,随高度增加,西风减弱,甚至在上部会出现微弱的东风;夏季中间层表现为强烈的东风,低热层则为西风,风向转换高度在80km附近;春季和秋季为转换季节,在春季出现舌状东风结构.80km附近的平均经向风场在冬季以南风为主,在夏季则以北风为主.不同年份的平均风场存在年际变化性,但其气候变化特点非常相似.中频雷达观测结果与HWM93模式结果的气候变化特点符合很好,与其他纬度的平均纬向风气候变化特点基本类似.     

昆明上空电离层D区电子密度季节变化的首次观测分析

通过分析2008年8月至2009年7月昆明站(25.6°N, 103.8°E) 中频(MF)雷达观测数据, 研究了太阳活动低年电离层D区电子密度的季节变化特性,发现D区电子密度主要呈现半年变化特征, 即在春秋季电子密度较大, 而在夏冬季则较小, 这与国际参考电离层(IRI)预测的年变化趋势不一致, 但与昆明站电离层测高仪的最低回波频率f_min的观测结果相符. 同时比较了D区电子密度半年变化与纬向风半年变化的关系, 发现二者之间保持了非常一致的变化趋势并对这种一致性的内在原因进行了分析.      

Seasonal variability of GPS-VTEC and model during low solar activity period (2006–2007) near the equatorial ionization anomaly crest location in Chinese zone

Variability of vertical TEC recorded at Fuzhou (26.1°N, 119.3°E, geomagnetic latitude 14.4°N), Xiamen (24.5°N, 118.1°E, geomagnetic latitude 13.2°N), Nanning (22.8°N, 108.3°E, geomagnetic latitude 11.4°N), China, during the low solar activity in 2006–2007 have been analyzed and discussed. Remarkable seasonal anomaly was found over three stations with the highest value during spring and the lowest value during summer. The relative standard deviation of VTEC is over 20% all the time, with steady and smooth variation during daytime while it has a large fluctuation during nighttime. The biggest correlation coefficient was found in the VTEC-sunspot pair with a value of over 0.5. It seems that solar activity has a better correlation ship than geomagnetic activity with the variation of VTEC and better correlations are found with more long-term data when comparing our previous study. The results of comparing observation with model prediction in three sites reveal again that the SPIM model overestimates the measured VTEC in the low latitude area.     

平流层臭氧和辐射场的季节分布特征

利用美国NCAR化学气候耦合模式WACCM3对平流层温度场、风场、臭氧及辐射场进行了模拟.结果表明,在适宜飞艇长期驻留的准零风层高度20～22km(对应大气压强范围为50～30hPa,以下均采用气压值表征对应大气高度),7-8月风速小于5m·s-1的风带可长期稳定在40°N以北.臭氧空间分布显示,在30hPa气压高度处中国地区臭氧浓度出现了带状分布,30hPa高度以下低纬度地区臭氧浓度低于中纬度地区.平流层太阳加热率的时空变化表明,在平流层上层,太阳加热率可达100×10-6K·s-1,而在平流层下层,只有10×10-6K·s-1.6-8月中国区域的太阳加热率大于9月;在100～30hPa高度内,中纬度地区太阳加热率高于低纬度地区,在30hPa高度以上,低纬度地区太阳加热率高于中纬度地区;8-9月30～40hPa高度处,太阳加热率的空间变化较小.在30hPa高度上,太阳加热率在40°N昼夜变化最大;50hPa高度处,太阳加热率的昼夜变化小于30hPa高度处,而且白天太阳加热率出现极大值的纬度明显靠北.平流层低纬度地区的长波加热率小于中纬度地区.青藏高原由于地形特殊,其6-7月的臭氧浓度、太阳加热率和长波加热率均小于同纬度其他地区.      

北京地区重力波活动及其波谱的季节分布特性研究

利用激光雷达对北京地区上空Na层进行持续观测,通过连续三年累积的夜间观测数据对北京地区重力波活动及其波谱进行研究.根据重力波的线性理论计算,得到北京地区上空的大气密度扰动规律、空间功率谱和时间频率谱.通过选择重力波波长在1~8 km,具有特定波长以及特定周期为60,45,25 min的重力波活动辅助研究重力波的季节变化规律,结果表明北京地区重力波大气密度扰动具有夏季大、冬季小的活动规律.结合波源与背景风场的季节性变化规律,分析得出北京上空重力波活动季节性变化的主要原因为青藏高原地形和对流因素与我国北方地区季节性背景风场共同作用的结果.     

First observation of upper mesospheric semi annual oscillations using ground based airglow measurements from Indian low latitudes

We summarize two years of Mesosphere Lower Thermosphere Photometer (MLTP) operation of mesospheric OH and O₂ emission monitoring. The deduced mesospheric OH and O₂ temperatures show large variability. Nightly temperature variations over Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E) are dominated by the short period wave features, while tidal amplitudes are relatively small. Our measurements are the first to report a long period seasonal variation at two upper mesospheric altitudes simultaneously over the Indian sector. Our observations reveal the presence of a dominant semi-annual oscillation (∼6 months periodicity) together with a shorter period (∼2.5  months periodicity) oscillation in both OH and O₂ data.     

An investigation of the solar cycle impact on the lower thermosphere O(S) nightglow emission as observed by WINDII/UARS

The yearly variation of the integrated emission rate of the O(¹S) nightglow in the lower thermosphere is studied and the solar cycle impact is examined from the observations of the Wind Imaging Interferometer (WINDII) operated on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). More than 300,000 volume emission rate profiles of the O(¹S) nightglow observed by WINDII for 40°S–40°N latitudes during November 1991–August 1997 over half of a solar cycle are utilized. These profiles are vertically integrated for the altitude range of 80–100 km and the equivalent column integrated emission rates are then zonally averaged for bins with 10° latitude and 3 month intervals. It is found that for each latitude the O(¹S) nightglow emission rate appears to increase with increasing solar F10.7 cm flux, following a linear relationship. This characterizes the solar cycle impact on the O(¹S) nightglow, while the solar influence is modulated by a seasonal variation. Based on these variations, an empirical formula is derived for predicting the three-month averages of the O(¹S) nightglow integrated emission rate. The standard error of the estimated values from the formula is smaller than 30 Rayleigh.     

Study of the seasonal ozone variations at European high latitudes

The geographic area at high latitudes beyond the polar circle is characterized with long darkness during the winter (polar night) and with a long summertime insolation (polar day). Consequentially, the polar vortex is formed and the surrounding strong polar jet is characterized by a strong potential vorticity gradient representing a horizontal transport barrier. The ozone dynamics of the lower and middle stratosphere is controlled both by chemical destruction processes and transport processes.