HR: 0800h
AN: SA21A-0266 [Abstracts]
TI: Lidar Observations of Polar Mesospheric Clouds in Conjunction with an AIM Overflight
AU: * Thayer, J P
EM: jeffrey.thayer@colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado
Aerospace Engineering Science Department, UCB 431, Boulder, CO 80309, United States
AU: Reimuller, J
EM: jason.reimuller@colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado
Aerospace Engineering Science Department, UCB 431, Boulder, CO 80309, United States
AU: Taylor, M
EM: mtaylor@cc.usu.edu
AF: Utah State University, Department of Physics, Logan, UT 84322, United States
AU: Rusch, D
EM: Dave.Rusch@lasp.colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Innovative Drive, Boulder, CO 80309, United States
AU: Thomas, G
EM: gary.thomas@lasp.colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Innovative Drive, Boulder, CO 80309, United States
AU: Heinselman, C
EM: craig.heinselman@sri.com
AF: SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, United States
AU: Pan, W
EM: weilin.pan@sri.com
AF: SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, United States
AU: Merkel, A
EM: Aimee.Merkel@lasp.colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Innovative Drive, Boulder, CO 80309, United States
AU: Bailey, S
EM: scott.m.bailey@vt.edu
AF: Virginia Tech
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 302 Whittemore, Blacksburg, VA 24061,
AU: Hervig, M
EM: m.e.hervig@gats-inc.com
AF: GATS, Inc., 11864 Canon Blvd., Suite 101, Newport News, VA 23606, United States
AB:
On August 10, 2007 a dramatic polar mesospheric cloud display was observed visually and by a lidar system
from the Sondrestrom Upper Atmosphere Research Facility near Kangerlussaq, Greenland (67.0N, 309.1E). The
PMC was detected in the lidar's vertical beam from approximately 01:30 UT until local
sunrise near 07:30 UT. The AIM spacecraft passed within a few hundred kilometers of the site near 02:20 UT,
placing the site well within the viewing angle of the CIPS instrument. The SOFIE instrument on AIM made
measurements within 700 km of the lidar observations. The lidar detection indicates typical PMC characteristics
with an altitude near 82 km, a thickness of 1 km and a backscatter coefficient near 100. The CIPS images will
place in context the lidar observations and the CIPS measurements of the scattering phase function will help
constrain PMC particle size. The SOFIE measurements will help determine the temperature and water vapor
conditions in the region of the lidar observations. The detailed lidar measurements complement the satellite
observations and provide for the first time a detailed view of a PMC simultaneously from ground and space.
DE: 0320 Cloud physics and chemistry
DE: 3334 Middle atmosphere dynamics (0341, 0342)
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting