HR: 1340h
AN: SA53A-1145    [Abstracts]
TI: Turbulent Kinetic Energy Dissipation Rates in the Tropical Mesosphere From the Jicamarca MST Radar
AU: * Guo, L
EM: lguo@clemson.edu
AF: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, 108 Kinard Lab, Clemson, SC 29634 United States
AU: Lehmacher, G
EM: glehmac@CLEMSON.EDU
AF: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, 108 Kinard Lab, Clemson, SC 29634 United States
AU: Kudeki, E
EM: erhan@uiuc.edu
AF: Department of Electrical & Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1406 W. Green St., Urbana, IL 61801 United States
AB: The MST radar at Jicamarca Radar Observatory (JRO) is a powerful radar that can detect atmospheric turbulence on the Bragg scale of 3 m in the daytime mesosphere (60-85 km). Since 2002, the radar has been operated for a few days each year in this mode, collecting 1 minute Doppler spectra in 4 beam directions and 150 m resolution. The spectral widths have been used to compute the kinetic energy dissipation rate ε and eddy diffusivity K due to atmospheric turbulence. A small contamination due to beam broadening (beamwidth 0.7°) has been removed. For most days, ε values of 1-10 mW/kg increase with height consistent with the results from other VHF radars. The variability during each day is large. Turbulent dissipation rates for individual layers and the day-to-day variability are discussed in relationship to the observed wind shear.
DE: 3332 Mesospheric dynamics
DE: 3379 Turbulence (4490)
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005