HR: 0830h
AN: SA51A-0485    [PDF]
TI: The response of PMCs to Shuttle Water Vapor Plumes in the Arctic
AU: DeLand, M T
EM: matthew_deland@ssaihq.com
AF: Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI), 10210 Greenbelt Rd., Suite 400, Lanham, MD 20706 United States
AU: * Stevens, M H
EM: stevens@uap2.nrl.navy.mil
AF: Code 7641 Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington, DC 20375 United States
AU: Englert, C R
EM: englert@uap2.nrl.navy.mil
AF: Code 7641 Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington, DC 20375 United States
AU: Hartogh, P
EM: paul@chirp.mpae.gwdg.de
AF: Max Planck Institute for Aeronomy, Max Planck Str 2, Katlenburg-Lindau, 37191 Germany
AB: Recent work shows evidence that space shuttle water vapor exhaust can travel to the Arctic and form polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs), visible about a week after launch. A ground-based microwave spectrometer in northern Norway ($69\deg$N) has been measuring water vapor in the upper atmosphere since 1995. These data reveal that several space shuttle plumes injected in the summer were detected by the microwave spectrometer one to three days after launch. To explore whether each of these Arctic shuttle plumes leads to PMC formation, we analyze satellite PMC data collected by Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV/2) instruments following each case where an Arctic shuttle plume was observed. Some shuttle plumes lead to significant observed PMC responses, while others lead to weaker or no observed responses. Since the orbits of most SBUV/2 instruments drift in local time and the PMC lighting conditions evolve during the season and with latitude, we examine the observational conditions for each case to quantitatively determine the detection capability of SBUV/2 following each Arctic plume observation. Using the comprehensive coverage of SBUV/2 over the polar cap, we will also quantify the spatial and temporal extent of any burst of PMC activity following a shuttle launch.
DE: 0320 Cloud physics and chemistry
DE: 0340 Middle atmosphere--composition and chemistry
DE: 0394 Instruments and techniques
DE: 1610 Atmosphere (0315, 0325)
SC: SPA - Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting