HR: 0800h
AN: SA41A-1031    [Abstracts]
TI: Simultaneous TIMED/SABER and Ground-Based Measurements of the Semi-annual Oscillation in Mesospheric Temperatures
AU: * Taylor, M J
EM: mtaylor@cc.usu.edu
AF: Center for Atmospheric and Space Science, Utah State University, 4405 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322 United States
AU: Taori, A
EM: alok@cc.usu.edu
AF: Center for Atmospheric and Space Science, Utah State University, 4405 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322 United States
AU: Zhao, Y
EM: yucheng@cc.usu.edu
AF: Center for Atmospheric and Space Science, Utah State University, 4405 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322 United States
AU: Hatch, D R
EM: drhatch@cc.usu.edu
AF: Center for Atmospheric and Space Science, Utah State University, 4405 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322 United States
AU: Liu, H
EM: liuh@ucar.edu
AF: High Altitude Observatory, NCAR, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307
AU: Roble, R
EM: roble@ucar.edu
AF: High Altitude Observatory, NCAR, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307
AB: As part of a TIMED correlative ground-based research program long term measurements of the near IR mesospheric OH and O2 emissions have been made from USAF AEOS facility at the summit at Haleakala Crater, Maui, Hawaii (20.8N, 156.2W). Observations have been made routinely since October 2001 (typically 22 days/month) using the CEDAR Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (MTM). This imager sequentially measures the OH (6, 2) band intensity and temperature (peak altitude ~87km) and the O2 (0, 1) Atmospheric band intensity and temperature (peak altitude ~94km) with a precision of 1-2 K in 3 minutes.. To date, over 450 nights of quality data (durations typically 4 to 10 hours) have been obtained. A seasonal analysis of these data reveals a marked semi-annual oscillation (SAO) in temperature (and intensity) for both the OH and O2 emission data. The peaks in temperature (and intensity) data occurred during the Spring and Fall in good agreement with the well established SAO signatures in the mesospheric wind field. SAO signatures in mesospheric temperatures have previously been investigated using rocket and satellite borne techniques, but, ground-based observations are exceptionally few. In this paper we utilize zonally averaged SABER/TIMED data recorded during the 2002-2003 period to investigate seasonal variability in mesospheric temperatures and to look for a possible SAO signature and its amplitude variability with altitude. The results will be compared with our ground-based MTM analysis (which show a marked asymmetry in the oscillations peaking during northern hemisphere spring-time) to better quantify the SAO characteristics in the mesospheric temperature field.
DE: 3332 Mesospheric dynamics
DE: 3334 Middle atmosphere dynamics (0341, 0342)
DE: 3384 Waves and tides
DE: 0310 Airglow and aurora
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting